I'm Too Busy To Love You
by Jochamon
Summary: Doumeki finds out that Watanuki has a crush on him, but he doesn't return the feeling. However, troubles concerning certain boy causes him to notice Watanuki more. RATED A VERY HIGH T FOR THE LAST CHAPTER
1. Chapter 1

_Watanuki didn't know why, but lately, whenever he saw Doumeki…it made him really nauseated. He would get sudden jumps from his stomach, and that sudden reaction would cause his legs to go weak. He didn't know what it was, but…_

_It annoyed him…_

_He hated that feeling…_

_And because of those negative feelings, he would snap even more at Doumeki._

_It was when he saw Doumeki asleep at the shrine that Watanuki finally figured out what those weird feelings were. It was March 3rd, Doumeki's birthday. He told Watanuki to come over earlier that day. Watanuki, as usual, yelled at him for not asking politely.  
_

_His face went red when he saw Doumeki's body lying down in his room. The yukata that he usually wore was open, revealing his toned chest and abs. His arm was stretched out, while the other one was covering his eyes. Watanuki cleared his throat and walked up to the man. _

"_Damn it…do you have any dignity at all?"_

_He kneeled down and shook the man's shoulders._

"_Doumeki…get up…"_

_He grunted, but ignored Watanuki's whispered call._

"_Hey, Doumeki! Get up, or I won't cook anything that you wanted me to make today."_

_It was odd. That somehow did the trick of waking him up._

"_Hn…oh, you're here…" he started with a groggy edge to his voice, "make me food."_

"_IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ASK POLITELY, FOR ONCE????"_

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Watuki chuckled to himself. Today was White Day…and to make the day interesting…he planned to tell Himawari the truth about his feelings. Himawari, for once, was able to see Watanuki that day. He knew that he had to man up and have the courage to say what he needed to say. He brought Himawari to the cherry blossom trees at the back of the school.

"Is something wrong, Watanuki-kun?"

"Yes…I'm sorry for calling you out like this."

"Not a problem."

"It's just…today…I wanted to tell you what I have been wanting to say for the longest time."

"Watanuki-kun…"

"Himawari-chan…I know for a fact…you never really liked me that way, did you?"

"W-What…?"

"It's ok…you won't hurt my feelings…just tell me…you never really liked me that way…right?"

"I…I'm sorry…no. I never did. You are very precious to me, Watanuki-kun. You are a great friend, and…I really want to cherish that friendship."

"I see…well…I'm glad that I got that out of my system…"

Watanuki walked towards her and gave her a bag.

"There is a bunch of chocolate candy in there…I made them last night."

"Thank you…" Himawari grabbed the bag and sighed, "Watanuki-kun, I'm so sorry-"

He raised his hand, signaling her that he was not done.

"That was only half of the confession."

She looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Himawari-chan…I LIKED you. Every single White Day…I wanted to tell you how much you meant to me…how much I loved you. It's funny…this year's White day…I'm able to tell you everything that I had been holding in for so long…and yet, I'm okay with your rejection."

"Are…you telling me…" Himawari smiled kindly, "that…there is someone else that you like?"

Watanuki couldn't help it. He laughed out loud, surprising her.

"I-I'm sorry! But…you really got ahead of me!"

"Ah…I'm sorry."

"No, that's ok…it saved me a lot of time."

"So…who is it?"

Watanuki became really tense, suddenly embarrassed from her question. He sighed, trying to calm his nerves. He knew he could trust her very much with his secret. She was never the one to blab. He looked around, left and right, and leaned over to whisper in her ear. Her eyes went wide.

"Wow…so…him, huh?"

Watanuki blushed a deep red.

"Y-Yeah…"

"I see," Himawari laughed, "I guess that's okay. It is him after all. Are you planning on telling him?"

"W-What? No! At least…not now…argh, I don't know. I highly doubt he likes me like that. We're…good friends…we have done so much together. I …don't…want to make things awkward and have him leave, or anything."

"I see…well, I'm sure things will work out. You two are such good friends, I highly doubt he would end the friendship just like that. Your bonds are too strong."

"I…I suppose you're right. Yeah, things will work out, but…again, I don't plan on telling him anytime soon!"

"Alright, alright…well, how about this? Why don't we go to the movies this Sunday? Let's celebrate the end of a crush, and the beginning of a new one!"

"I…I guess, but just to let you know…I don't like theatres that much…ghosts seem to hang around there."

After leaving the area, fully understanding each other at long last, they never realized that someone was listening, frozen in place.

"…_Such good friends…"_

"…_Such good friends…"_

"…_Such good friends…"_

"_You two are such good friends!"_

He knew…Doumeki knew.


	2. Chapter 2

_Watanuki chopped the vegetables to tiny slices and put them in the boiling pot. He grabbed another vegetable and started chopping away. The way he moved around the kitchen was impressive, and the techniques that he would use as he mixed in the vegetables was an art of its own. Watanuki enjoyed days where he could freely move around a large space. Especially if that large space was Doumeki's kitchen._

"_Is it almost done?"_

_Watanuki stopped at mid slice. His eye twitched in annoyance._

"_Didn't I ask you to not bother me when I'm cooking?"_

"_May I have a taste?"_

"_No."_

"…_Don't forget to add the sauce."_

"_ARGH, DAMMIT, DOUMEKI! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING! YOU ASKED ME TO COOK A FEAST FOR YOU AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT, AND HELL, I AM DOING IT! I'M THE COOK, YOU BASTARD! THE COOK! STOP ORDERING ME AROUND, OR I WILL BURN EVERYTHING ON PURPOSE!!"_

_There was silence._

"_Quiet down…idiot."_

_Watanuki slammed the kitchen knife on the cutting board and turned to face him. He gave Doumeki the most evil stare that he could muster._

"_Get out…"_

_The man just looked at him, his shoulder leaning on the doorframe._

"_Why?"_

"_Because, you are very distracting! You just standing there staring at me is not going to make the food finish any faster."_

"_I figured that much. I just wanted to see you cook. I noticed you put a lot of emotion into your cooking."_

_That stopped Watanuki from glaring at him. He went back to cutting the vegetables, a pink color decorating his cheeks. He was going to thank him, but he just hummed his response instead._

"_You would make a good wife."_

_That ruined the mood._

"_GET THE HELL OUT!!!!"_

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Sunday came very quickly, and for Watanuki, he was both happy and angry that he was going to watch a movie with Himawari-chan. He really hated theatres, because ghosts tend to hang around there a lot, especially during horror movies. But then again, it was his teenage dream to spend time with Himawari after school. She was either busy, or she already had plans to hang out with her friends. It's funny how things work out.

They met up with each other in front of the theatre and entered the building. Watanuki was really nervous at first, since he saw a few shadows in the seats, but for the first time in his life, they didn't bother him that much. Only a cold brush on the face, and a nice slash on the arm, but nothing too serious. They had fun, and the movie wasn't all that bad, either. Both of them walked out of the theatre impressed.

As they stepped into the sunlight, Watanuki's pupils dilated to such a degree, he saw nothing but blinding white. He almost screamed in pain, but grunted in annoyance as he tried to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Argh…curse the so-called Theatre Blindness!"

"Yeah," Himawari started, her eyes blinded, as well, "this will last for a good half hour or so. There are times when you will be able to see after about five to ten minutes."

"Oh, joy…"

"Oh, hey! Watanuki, look! Doumeki is here."

Watanuki's stomach flipped.

"W-What? Where? When were you cured? I still have Theatre Blindness!"

He walked around quickly and slammed into a body. A hand grabbed onto his arm before he hit the ground.

"Don't move around if you are blind, idiot."

Watanuki's body stopped functioning for a few seconds, but then yelled, forcing the man to let go of him.

"D-DOUMEKI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? CAN'T YOU SEE I'M ON A _DATE_ WITH HIMAWARI-CHAN?"

He pointed at a certain area, hoping that he was next to her.

"She's right behind you." He heard Doumeki say.

"Damn…"

"Yuuko told me to find you. She wanted me to take you to your place and grab your things, since you are staying there for the night."

"Oh, yeah! She did tell me about that."

He soon heard Himawari speak up.

"Alright. Well, I have to head home now. It was great hanging out with you, Watanuki-kun. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Watanuki followed the direction of her voice.

"Alright. See you tomorrow!"

As she walked away from the two boys, Watanuki sighed.

"Alright…I guess the day is over," he started walking towards his place, "let's go."

"You're going the wrong way."

"Shut up! I'm still blind!"

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Watanuki opened the apartment door, sighing as he took of his shoes.

"I'm home," he mumbled to no one in particular. After all those years, he still had the habit of calling out when no one was there to greet him. He rushed to the bedroom, where all of his school supplies and extra clothes were in. He packed up his stuff as quickly as possible. He didn't bother telling Doumeki to enter, since he already was in the house. However, he was thrown off when Doumeki looked around the room, both disturbed and confused.

The place was completely clean. No spec of dust was found, as expected of Watanuki. Everything was in it's place, and it had such a welcoming feel to it. However, Doumeki didn't expect to see so many seals all at once. He found two on each wall, three on the windows, and six on the doorframes. There was a huge amount of salt placed at the windows, and some covering the corners of the rooms. In truth, Doumeki was unbelievably disturbed, even if he didn't show it. He questioned Watanuki's daily life while growing up.

"Watanuki."

"Yes?"

"I believe you have three seals too many."

"Ah, not really. I wish I had more to put up. I still hear them scratching my walls at night."

Doumeki's hands clenched in a tight fist. Why was he so annoyed by this kind of information?

"But…those seals are pretty expensive. I tried to get one the other day, but I didn't have enough. Well, I'm not complaining as much now. Just last year, there were more activity here. One of those demons shot through my window while I was taking a bath. I nearly drowned from the pressure of the ghosts on me. If I didn't touch one of the seals in my bathroom, I would have died."

There were more seals in his bathroom?

"Well, that was all in the past."

The things he goes through.

"Come on. I don't want to be late."

Living through such hell, he wondered what it was like growing up with no parents, all alone in an apartment, and ghosts tormenting you day after day.

"Knowing Yuuko-san, she would want to drink Sake first."

How the hell did he manage to survive? Doumeki shouldn't be that surprised with Watanuki's living conditions. After all, he had gone through many things with him that most paranormal activities didn't faze him, anymore. However…just knowing that after one of Yuuko's missions, Watanuki would have to go back home with more paranormal activities; while Watanuki would hear scratching on his walls night after night, Doumeki would be sound asleep in his bed, nothing but the cool, night breeze lulling him to sleep.

"Hey! Doumeki! I'm talking to you!"

He looked at Watanuki, suddenly awake from his anger.

"I said, I don't want to be late! Let's go!"

Watanuki grabbed Doumeki's wrist and dragged him out of his apartment. From that contact, Doumeki suddenly remembered the conversation that he overheard that day, and his stomach turned.

Watanuki liked him…in THAT way. He was definitely not prejudice. If you're gay, you're gay. However, Doumeki didn't know how to react in that situation. It wasn't the same like the other girls; they would call him out and confess to him, then he would kindly reject them. He would never see them again. No strings attached.

In this case, it was Watanuki. He had been protecting him from ghosts for so long. Plus, he gave up his eyesight AND his blood. He had a strong bond with him. He would see Watanuki every day, so the "No Strings Attached" didn't apply to him.

How would he be able to kindly reject him and still have a close bond with him?


	3. Chapter 3

"_So…"_

_Silence._

"…_Is it good?"_

"_Hn."_

_Watanuki sighed as he started eating his own serving of food._

" '_Thank you very much. You are such a great cook. I'm glad you did this on my birthday.' You should be saying that, you ungrateful prick."_

"_More tea."_

"_ARGH! JEEZ, YOU'RE SUCH A FREAKIN' GLUTTON!"_

_Watanuki poured the tea, anyway. He gave him back the cup of tea and grabbed his bowl of food again. He ate it slowly, savoring the taste of beef. He was really annoyed. Since it was Doumeki's birthday, he expected him to at least say a good few words…like…maybe a "thank you" would be nice._

"_Ungrateful…" Watanuki mumbled._

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As they got out of classes, Watanuki decided to head back home before he went to work. He forgot his Math book at his place and needed to finish it for class the next day. Doumeki decided to accompany him. Watanuki complained, ranting that he didn't need to be escorted like a girl. Doumeki stared at him, amazed that he could have a crush on a guy, and still act the same way. It was definitely a huge contrast between Watanuki and Himawari.

They reached Watanuki's door. He grabbed his key from his bag and reached for the lock, only to pause.

"Eh…? What the…?"

"What is it?"

"The lock on the door is different."

"Oh, there you are, Watanuki-kun."

He turned his head, only to see a woman down the hall. Watanuki paled. His heart sank as he walked up to the lady.

"Manager-san…Doumeki, I'll be right back!"

Doumeki was close to earshot of them, but tried to block them out. It was none of his business what they were talking about. Probably about his living conditions. Maybe the noise. Whatever it was, he blocked it all out. Doumeki then stared at the two. He didn't see the woman's face, but Watanuki's was something to be concerned with. His face was unbelievably pale, and his eyes were wide. He could tell that he was panicking, considering he was hyperventilating like an asthmatics. Doumeki suddenly heard some of the woman's words. Something about "three notices," and something about "the old manager."

Watanuki was given a small object, and the woman walked away. He stood there for what seemed like hours, and then quickly walked back to his apartment door. He unlocked his door with what seemed like the key that his manager had given him, and opened the door. He quickly took off his shoes and grabbed the book that he needed. Doumeki noticed that he was shaking. His breathing was really hard, and his face was still really pale. Watanuki stopped and leaned on the kitchen doorframe, trying to calm himself before he lost himself. Now, Doumeki was really concerned.

"What is it?"

Watanuki didn't answer, but after a few minutes, he finally spoke.

"Doumeki…did I ever tell how I managed to live here?"

"No."

"I can't remember everything, because of my lost memories, but…all I know is that…at a young age, my parents died. My foster parents took me in. They were the old managers of this building. Even if I was still a child, I asked them to let me stay at one of their vacant apartments. They didn't want me to live alone, but granted what I wished for. They were gracious enough to pay the rent for me.

"However…they let go of the lease for this building to manage another building. The new manager is nice, but…she said that I have to pay rent now. She was told that I have a job, and because of that, I should able to pay the rent. I didn't know what to say to her. I couldn't tell her that I work for a Witch that grants wishes. She would call an asylum right away.

"So…she gave me three eviction notices. She gave me until the end of this week to pack up my things and leave."

Watunuki finally looked at him, his face showing how vulnerable his emotions were.

"I looked everywhere in the newspapers for one, but they were too expensive. I don't have time to look for another job, and…" he sighed, "…I just…don't know what to do anymore…"

Watanuki sat down on his small couch, his hands covering his face.

For once, Doumeki didn't know how to respond to him. He sat down next to Watanuki. He wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know how. A pat on the back? On the head? On the shoulder? Maybe a quick hug?

Doumeki closed his eyes. As much as he wanted to comfort the boy, hugging him would just misconstrue his actions as affection. He leaned back, looking away from the quivering mess.

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It was lunchtime, and the trio sat and ate the lunch that Watanuki usually made. It was really tense, mostly because Watanuki was in such a horrible mood. He was exhausted. He spent the entire night packing up his things. Himawari asked him if he was going to visit his relatives. He explained to Himawari the situation that he was going through, and she gave him a sad look.

"Well…Watanuki…I'm sorry things are going horribly for you. If I had more space in my place, I would have let you live with my family."

"I see…thank you, though."

Doumeki spoke up.

"What about staying at Yuuko's place? You've stayed there before. "

"I asked her, but she said that the shop is not an apartment. She would allow me to stay there for maybe a couple weeks or so, but if I stay there longer than that, horrible things are going to happen. She didn't tell me what, but seriously, I didn't want to know."

"Hn."

"Wanatuki…uh, I hope I'm not prying into your business, but…how long have you lived alone?"

He looked up at her, his eyes wide.

"Uh…since I was a kid. I don't remember how long, but…possibly since elementary school."

"Wow…don't you get lonely?"

Watanuki knew that he should be getting used to that question, but something inside him tore apart. Doumeki and Himawari noticed his sudden change. His looked like his mind went to a far away place, almost as if he was in a trance. His eyes that usually gave off a certain twinkle, was nonexistent. As if Watanuki noticed his change, he snapped back into reality and smiled at Himawari.

"Ahaha! Sometimes…just a little. I've gotten used to being alone."

Doumeki frowned.

He knew for a fact that Watanuki's words were complete bull.

Loneliness was always there to haunt you.

"Watanuki…"

"What is it, Doumeki?"

"You're going to stay at the shrine."

Watanuki's eyes went wide. He stared at him for the longest time until he gave Doumeki an annoyed look.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't have anywhere else to go."

"There's no chance in hell I will be living in the same place as you."

If Watanuki was a girl, he would be saying something along the lines of, "what? Me living with you…? Ah…is that some sort of proposal? Well…if you want me to…I accept! Please, take good care of me! Teehee!"

Doumeki almost threw up his lunch. Thank god Watanuki was not a girl.

"Do you want to end up homeless? I hear that the streets is a very dangerous place. If I remember correctly, you can't go outside without being attacked."

"…I hate you so much, right now."

Watanuki glared at him.

"Well?"

He sighed.

"Fine, fine…I'll think about it."

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Doumeki was suddenly awaken by the loud knock on his window. It didn't stop at all, not worried about waking anyone up. He got up from his bed and opened his door. He was taken aback by the state of the smaller boy in front of him.

"Doumeki…thank god…"

Watanuki was shaking all over, his breathing very irregular, and the pajamas that he wore was torn. Doumeki noticed the thin cuts on his face, as if he was attacked by a cat. His pajamas had crimson red spots all over him, his torn pajamas revealing more thin cuts.

"She…told me to take down the seals…"


	4. Chapter 4

_Watanuki stretched his arms, tired of the long day's work at the kitchen. He was still ticked off at Doumeki. He put everything he had into that food, and not a single word of thanks came out of his mouth. He looked at the setting sun, noting that if he doesn't leave soon, more dangerous ghosts would appear._

"_Alright, well, thanks for letting me borrow your kitchen for the day. I'm impressed with the things you have in there."_

"_Hn."_

"_Maybe next time I'll cook, I would have a word of praise."_

_Doumeki just stared at him. Watanuki turned around, his face showing his inner thoughts. He stared back at Doumeki, waiting for the praise that he deserved. When he didn't get anything, he turned his back towards him. _

_His anger level was reaching its peak. He decided to leave before he started yelling at Doumeki. It wasn't something new, but he promised himself that he would ease off on the anger. He might have shouted at Doumeki a couple times that day, but he held strong. Watanuki repeated to himself that it was Doumeki's birthday, and he should be nice for once. Even if the taller man didn't give him the same kindness he deserved. Watanuki was holding his anger for far too long, and it was getting harder and harder as the minutes rolled by._

_He sighed his annoyance when he realized that Doumeki wasn't going to say anything. _

"_Fine…be that way."_

_He took a step towards the direction to his home._

"_Watanuki."_

_He stopped, but didn't look back._

"_The food was great."_

_Watanuki's body tensed. He seriously didn't see that coming. He wanted to turn around and say, "SEE? WAS THAT REALLY HARD TO SAY? DO IT MORE OFTEN, YOU JERK!" However, he couldn't bring himself to say it._

"_Thank you."_

_He turned around to face Doumeki. He still had that dumb stoic look on his face, but for the first time, it didn't rile him up like it usually did. His heart raced when he heard those blunt words. His face felt really hot as he stared into the glutton's eyes. He noticed that all of his pent up anger that he was holding in all day was no more. He looked away, breaking the staring contest that he didn't know they were playing. Watanuki's stomach flipped as he smiled to himself._

"_Doumeki…Happy Birthday."_

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Watanuki spent an hour in the bathroom. Doumeki could hear him gagging and dry heaving in the next room. There were times when he thought that Watanuki was done as he heard the toilet flush, but then he would hear him go back and gag some more. When he finally got out of the bathroom, he sat at the very corner of the room. He brought his knees up to his chin and stayed there for about ten minutes. He would have been there longer if Doumeki didn't drag him out.

"Watanuki…you have to do so something for me."

"Please, don't kick me out…I'msorryforwakingyouupatthistime,butIhadnowhereelsetogo!!!"

He started to hyperventilate. Doumeki grabbed both of his shoulders to keep the boy steady.

"Calm down, idiot! I'm not going to kick you out."

"What is it, then…"

"Take off your clothes."

Watanuki's face could never be any more redder.

"W-WHAT?"

"To bandage up those wounds, genius."

Watanuki looked at his clothes. For a second, Doumeki could have sworn that Watanuki looked disappointed. He sighed as Doumeki got up to get the bandages from the bathroom. When he came back, Watanuki already had his shirt off. The boy looked at his pants, and was grateful to notice that he sustained no injuries to his legs. He sat down in the middle of the room and looked out the window.

Doumeki couldn't help but stare. On this lower back was a large scar. It was a thin, white line that started from the right muscle, all the way down to the left muscle. It wasn't horribly disgusting, but the sheer size of it was something that he didn't expect. Whatever had hurt him, it must have been something fierce.

"Watanuki."

The boy jumped a little and quickly turned to face him. Watanuki glared, embarrassed by his sudden fright.

"W-What is it?"

Doumeki was going to ask how he got that scar, but after a few seconds, decided against it. Knowing Watanuki's lifestyle, it must have involved something supernatural. Thinking as fast as he could, he opted for a different question.

"What happened last night?"

He sat behind him as he placed the box on the floor. He opened the first aid kit and took out the important materials. As he prepared the cotton ball, Watanuki started explaining, his voice hinting his grudge.

"Well…considering that I only have two days left at my apartment, everything has to be cleaned out. My manager said that there are a few people who want to check the apartment out and having seals everywhere is a huge warning bell for future renters. So…she told me to take them down."

Doumeki put the antiseptic-drenched cotton on Watanuki's back without warning. He arched, separating the cotton from his skin.

"ARGH!! SON OF A…GAH!!"

"Stop moving."

"I can't help it!! It's not my fault that it hurts!"

Doumeki placed the cotton to his skin, only to have Watanuki move away from him once again. He sighed as he dipped another cotton ball into the liquid.

"No wonder you have so many scars on you. You never really treated them."

"NOT TRUE! I have six first aid kits at home because of what I see."

"Hn…then all of these must have happened when you were a kid," Doumeki poked at the large scar on his lower back, "like this one."

Watanuki's spine arched again. He glared at Doumeki over his shoulder. His cheeks were slightly pink as his lips pouted like a little child. Doumeki almost chuckled. He found Watanuki's pout…disturbingly cute. He didn't expect Watanuki to pull something so girly. However, it didn't come as a huge surprise, considering that Watanuki had such female features. He somehow managed to pull it off.

His pale skin.

His large eyes.

His thin appearance.

"What the hell are you staring at, you pervert?"

Watanuki was giving him a disgusted look. Doumeki's stomach flipped unpleasantly. He frowned as he dipped the cotton into the liquid. He couldn't help but think that something felt very wrong…something immoral. When he looked back at Watanuki, he placed the cotton on his cheek, surprising the boy. Watanuki was ready to scream, but Doumeki stopped him by putting his hand over his mouth.

"You're going to wake everyone up, idiot."

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Doumeki gave him a yukata and a room for the night. The futon was placed in the middle of the room ready to be slept on. That was until Watanuki came into the room. His face was blank as he declared that he didn't need to sleep on the futon. Doumeki looked at him with confusion.

"Oh, and could you give me a few of your seals?"

Silence filled the the room.

"We're at a shrine…you don't need--"

"JUST GIVE ME THE DAMN SEALS!!!"

Doumeki sighed as he went to get them. When he came back, he was thrown off as he saw Watanuki placing the futon in the large shelf closet.

"What are you doing…?"

Watanuki turned around to face him. Relieved that he came back with the seals. He walked towards him and snatched them from Doumeki's hands. He walked back to the closet and started putting the seals around the frame of his new sleeping quarters.

"Just in case…you may never know…it could happen…"

Doumeki closed his eyes as he walked towards the door. As he closed it behind him, he could still hear Watanuki rambling.

"Perfect…now, I can sleep soundly tonight!"

As he heard Watanuki climb into the closet, he couldn't help but think how trauma could ruin someone's mentality to such a severe degree.

It's a shame he couldn't get any therapy for it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Doumeki and Himawari stared at their bento. They had been like that after they had taken a bite of Watanuki's wonderful cooking. Himawari's face was in complete shock, while Doumeki's face…well, his expression never changed, but he was definitely trying to figure something out. Watanuki cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the two. _

"_Is something wrong?"_

_Himawari looked at him, her expression never changing._

"_No…nothing is wrong, it's just…the food."_

"_Oh, shoot…does it taste bad? It was my first time making it, so…"_

"_No…it's not that it tastes bad…it's just…it is unbelievably delicious. Watanuki-kun, did something happen?"_

_He smiled sheepishly as he tried to figure out what the big deal was._

"_W-What? What do you mean?"_

_Himawari looked back at her bento. Her face looked like she was hesitant to eat more. She looked at Doumeki, and then looked back at Watanuki._

"_It just…I can't describe it…something has changed. I know that this is going to sound crazy, but…it's as if…you had put all of your feelings into your cooking."_

_Doumeki finally looked up at him. Watanuki didn't know what to say. Did he do something wrong? They liked it, but…what did he do to make his cooking taste differently? He followed the recipe._

"_Hn…it's almost as if this was meant for one's lover."_

"_Yeah, like that."_

_Watanuki blushed._

"_LOVER?? WHAT THE HELL? HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO TASTE SOMETHING LIKE THAT???" _

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Doumeki was awoken by the sound of his alarm. With a heavy arm, he turned it off. Staying up until late while taking care of Watanuki took a toll on him, and all he wanted was another couple hours of sleep. However, the morning sun was too much for him to bear. He got up from his bed and got ready for school.

He walked towards Watanuki's room and knocked on the door. When he didn't hear a response, he opened it. Remembering that Watanuki was sleeping in the shelf closet, he walked into the room. He saw the seals forming an arch around the frame of the closet. It was slightly ajar so that Watanuki was able to breathe the fresh air. He stared at it for a few minutes, then slid the door all the way. He was greeted by a sleeping Watanuki.

"Oi. Get up."

Watanuki's hand twitched.

"Oi…Watanuki."

"Mmmmm…go away…"

Doumeki got closer, and placed his hand on Watanuki's shoulder. He heard the boy's quick inhale, then his slow exhale. Doumeki was usually a patient man, but if Watanuki didn't wake up any time soon, they were going to be late for class. Doumeki tightened his grip on Watanuki's shoulder and gently shook him.

"Get up, idiot."

Watanuki's eyes slowly fluttered open. He could see it in his eyes that Watanuki wasn't fully awake; his eyelids were still heavy with sleep and his face showed no expression. Doumeki was going to shake his shoulder again, but was deeply entranced by Watanuki's mismatched eyes. They looked so much brighter early in the morning. It didn't make sense to him why he was fascinated by them since he saw him every day. Maybe it was the intensity of the sun? Possibly the rays reflecting his eyes at the most perfect angle? That must be it.

"Doumeki…?"

Watanuki's whisper brought him back to reality. That was happening to him a lot lately. Watanuki's presence always made Doumeki notice the little things about the boy.

Watanuki was starting to notice his surroundings. The first thing he saw was the bright sun striking his face in a blindingly harsh manner. Then he saw Doumeki's silhouette. Then Doumeki's eyes. His golden brown eyes seemed to glow giving a demonic look to him.

"D-DOUMEKI??"

Watanuki jumped up, his head smashing against the shelf above him. He cried out in pain, falling out of the closet with a loud thump. He curled into a ball as he palmed his face.

"GAH...DARRGHH…MY HEAD…!!"

"Are you awake now?"

"HOLY SHI--THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CARING ABOUT MY HEALTH, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!!! Son of a whore…it hurts!"

------------------------------------

Watanuki was angry. Not only did he sustain injuries from last night, but he managed to have a wonderful cut on his eyebrow from the upper shelf. It was still bleeding. To top it all off, his head was pounding in such a pain, he couldn't withstand the smallest chirp of the birds.

"If you don't feel that good, just head back to the shrine."

Watanuki's eye twitched in anger.

"OHHH! SO, _NOW_ YOU CARE, YOU LAME EXC---Ooohhhhhh……I'm too exhausted for this…"

"I'm serious. Head back. I'll take notes for you. I'm better at taking it, anyway."

Something in Watanuki just snapped. He was exhausted. He was in pain. He didn't want to deal with anything. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Doumeki noticed his sudden action, and looked back.

"You know what…? TO HELL WITH IT! TO HELL WITH YOU!!!"

"What did I--"

"SHUT UP! I've had it! I will go back to the shrine! That way, I won't be able to see your stupid face patronizing me all day!"

"Why are you mad?"

"WHY AM I MAD? WHY AM I MAD??? OH, I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE MY HEAD IS IN SO MUCH FREAKIN' PAIN!! OR MAYBE BECAUSE I'M COVERED IN BANDAGES! IT COULD BE THE GIANT GLOB WITH SIX-TRILLION EYES HOVERING SIX FEET OVER MY HEAD!"

Doumeki couldn't help but look up at the clear blue sky.

"MAYBE IT'S THE FACT THAT WHEN I TAKE ANOTHER TWENTY STEPS, I'M GONNA END UP WHEEZING FROM THE BLACK SMOG!! OR MAYBE…IT'S THE FACT…that…ah…"

Doumeki's eyes widened. He had seen Watanuki have a major breakdown before, but never one such as that. All the emotions that he was holding inside of him was probably too much for him to bear. He saw Watanuki slowly touch his face, finally noticing the stream of salt water falling from his eyes.

"Ah, hell…!"

"Watanuki…"

He sighed, rubbing the tears off of his eyes. He slumped his shoulders, then turned his back to Doumeki.

"Forget it…just…I had enough…of everything…I'm gonna go to my apartment, and grab my stuff. I'll…see you when you get back."

So…that's why he was mad. Moving is certainly a bitch.

As Watanuki started walking towards the direction to his apartment, Doumeki saw noticed how his shoulders slumped a little bit more. He walked slower, and his balance was horrible. He figured that those ghosts that Watanuki mentioned must have something to do with it. He heard Watanuki scream out as he crashed onto the pavement. He yelled out the most horrible profanities that he could think of as he struggled to get back up.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME…GAH…DAMMIT…!"

As quickly as it came, the pressure from the ghosts disappeared. He felt a hand grab his arm as he was pulled up from the ground. He looked up to see the taller man look at him with the never changing stare.

"How are you able to pick up all of your things if you are going to be attacked every time?"

Watanuki glared at him as he forced Doumeki's hand off of him.

"I could always run with the boxes…I don't have a lot of stuff to begin with."

Doumeki reached down and grabbed Watanuki's bag.

"What about the furniture?"

That shut Watanuki up.

"I'm going with you. You're going to need help."

He looked up at Doumeki, surprise written all over his face.

"W-What? But…the class…and the notes…"

"Kunogi could do it. She takes good notes. Don't worry about anything for today."

Watanuki stared. He was truly amazed that Doumeki would go out of his way to help him when he needed it most. Then again, Doumeki would protect him from any danger. Even fighting a spirit that he could barely see.

"Doumeki…" he looked away as Doumeki made eye contact, "ah…thank you."

Watanuki saw Doumeki's hand reach out to him. He expected maybe a hand on his shoulder, or a pat on the head, but not of that came close to being true. He screamed out in pain when Doumeki's thumb wiped at his eyebrow.

"Hn…it didn't stop bleeding. You might want to get that checked out."

"YOU BASTARD!!! THAT HURT!!!"


	6. Chapter 6

"_Ah…Doumeki-kun…"_

_He looked up from his lunch. A woman with long black hair stood before the trio. Her face was unbelievably red as she looked at everything but Doumeki. Her fingers tightening together showed how nervous she was._

"_May I…speak to you for a minute?" _

"_Hn…"_

_Doumeki placed his lunch next to Watanuki, and followed the blushing girl to a secluded area. As Himawari and Watanuki waited for Doumeki, they went back to their lunch. Watanuki's eye twitched as he stared at the direction that Doumeki and the girl took. He wouldn't have thought in a million years that he would be jealous._

"_Wow…another girl…" Watanuki started, his voice sounding very serious, "how many confessions does he get every day?"_

_Himawari smiled. "About two."_

"_Huh…"_

"_Is something wrong?"_

_Watanuki tensed as he looked at Himawari._

"_Ah! No, no! Nothing is wrong. I was just wondering how many girls he turned down…that's all."_

_Himawari looked up in thought._

"_Hmm…you're right. You know…part of me feels sorry for those girls. They hold so much love for him, and being rejected must be so painful. But also…part of me admires them. It takes a lot of courage to confess to someone."_

"_Yeah…" Watanuki mumbled. His heart sank so low. He wondered what would happen if he was able to confess to Doumeki. Would he kindly reject him? Would he look at him with surprise? Would he stare at him with disgust?_

_Watanuki saw Doumeki walking back to their direction, and his heart sank even lower. When Doumeki sat back down on his spot, he noticed the air had thickened. It was tense. It was awkward. It was nerve wrecking. He just had to point it out._

"_Did something happen?" _

_Himawari smiled. "We were just talking about how girls these days have the strength to confess to the ones they love."_

"_Hn…"_

_Watanuki stared at his lunch. He chuckled as Himawari's words played back through his head. Admiring one's courage. He definitely did admire them. Because…he knew...he knew that he lacked the courage. If he wasn't able to confess to Himawari, he wouldn't be able to confess to Doumeki. _

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Watanuki stared at his apartment door. Part of him wished that he didn't skip class. He wished he was sitting at his desk, taking boring lecture notes as the teacher rambled on. It was better than coming to his place. Watanuki was positive that the demons had taken over it. The seals were not there anymore. The paranormal activities that were held at bay were broken. They were waiting for him on the other side of the wall.

He could hear their whispers.

He could feel their cold hands reaching towards him.

He could smell their nauseating odor.

"Are you going to open it?"

Doumeki's presence was the only barrier that they had to break.

With shaky fingers, Watanuki unlocked the door. He pushed it all the way open, but didn't dare go in. He coughed as the hazy smog wafted into his nose. He could hardly see the inside of his apartment. He could see the window and a portion of his couch, but that was all he could manage. It was as if the place was on fire. He looked at Doumeki, then back at the apartment. A chill ran up his spine as he saw shadows near the couch. He looked back at Doumeki with fear etched into his eyes.

"Y-You know…we…could do this at a later time…during the afternoon would be fine!"

Watanuki tried to walk away, but Doumeki grabbed his arm.

"You know you can't run away from this."

Doumeki could feel the boy shaking.

"I…I know…but…"

"Come on."

He dragged Watanuki into the apartment. The boy struggled to get out of his grasp, but gave up when Doumeki closed the door behind them. He took off his shoes and walked into the living room. The stench was not as strong anymore, and the ghosts were pushed outside. He figured it was Doumeki's purification abilities. For once, Watanuki was grateful to have Doumeki around.

"What do you want me to do with the boxes?"

Watanuki looked at Doumeki as he carried a box filled with Watanuki's cooking utensils.

"Oh! The manager said that we could use the front of the building. Just put down the ones that we are going to transport. She's letting us use some carts to make it easier on us."

"Hn…I'll bring some of these down, then."

Watanuki paled.

"W-Wait…you're…going down there?"

"That is the plan, yes."

"Ah…well…it's just that…since there are no seals to help me, I could--"

"Ah…excuse me."

Both boys looked at the door. Watanuki smiled grudgingly at the woman standing at the doorway. His eyes showed no respect. The manager smiled at them as she greeted from afar. She walked into the living room, to Watanuki's dismay. As she walked towards them, he didn't expect the manager to go directly to Doumeki.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but…it's Doumeki Shizuka, right?"

"Yes?"

"Could I talk to you for a few minutes?"

Doumeki was confused. What would Watanuki's landlady want to talk to him about? They hardly knew each other. Doumeki turned to looked at him. He was confused, as well. He gave Watanuki a serious look, knowing full well that if he left him alone, horrible things would happen.

"Will you be alright for five minutes?"

He stared at Doumeki, his face immediately changing into fear. Noticing his sudden change, Watanuki cleared his throat, and gave Doumeki one of his signature glares.

"I…don't…stay out there for too long. I don't want you slacking off."

The manager giggled. He was impressed that Watanuki was able to pull that off without causing suspicion. Doumeki carried a few of the boxes and walked with the manager. Watanuki's annoyed face gave away as he felt cold fingers brush his back. The smog that was suppressed by Doumeki's presence was seeping into his lungs. Watanuki stood frozen on the spot. The pressure of the room doubled as a droplet of sweat went down his back.

"_He's alone at last…"_

"_Alone…"_

"_Aloonnneee….."_

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Doumeki put the boxes on the pavement. The manager had taken one of the said carts and placed it next to the boxes.

"You wouldn't believe how fast he ran out his apartment. I don't know why he was yelling, but it woke everyone up. I had a few complaints this morning concerning him, as well. They kept on saying how they heard loud thumps, and glass breaking. They also said that they heard Watanuki-kun screaming for you…saying something about how he wished you were there."

That grabbed his attention. Watanuki's confession with Himawari was brought back to his mind. Doumeki managed to kick that into the back of his mind. He didn't want to remember.

"When he ran out the building, I checked to see what would cause him to freak out like that. I went into the apartment and saw that there were indeed, broken glass and boxes all over the floor. Knowing that Watanuki-kun had to leave today, I took the liberty to pick things up, so it would be much easier for him when he came back. So…what happened when he got to your shrine? Did he tell you what happened?"

He knew it. A nosy woman. She was probably going to gossip about the poor boy.

So he said the first thing he could say.

"He didn't tell me anything. He was really hysterical, though."

The woman looked down in disappointment. She then looked up, her face suddenly becoming curious.

"So…why aren't you two at school?"

"We were heading there, but I decided to help him clear the place out. If we came here later, we wouldn't have enough time to clean things out."

"Oh…I see. One more thing. This has been bothering me for a while, but…is the apartment haunted? Watanuki-kun had so many seals all over the place, so…I was wondering if your family could do a purification ritual."

"No…the place isn't haunted…" _it's Watanuki that is haunted,_ "but if it will make you feel better, I'll ask my father about it."

"Oh, good," she sighed with relief, "it's just that…future renters would probably run away from the idea of a haunted apartment."

Doumeki's eyebrow twitched. Did this woman care so much about profit?

"Well, that's all I wanted to ask. I'm glad that he has someone to rely on. Please, take good care of him. A boy his age shouldn't be living alone."

Doumeki frowned. _A boy his age shouldn't be homeless, either._ Oh, how much he wanted to say that.

"I can tell you two are such good friends. It would be a shame to lose such a good friendship. Well…I'll be off now. It was nice talking to you."

"Hn."

He saw her walk back into the apartment. As he was walking back into the building, Himawari's words came flooding in.

"_You two are such good friends, I highly doubt he would end the friendship just like that. Your bonds are too strong."_

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Doumeki noticed something wrong as he went back into the apartment. He looked around the place, and found that Watanuki was nowhere in sight. The boxes that were stacked in a corner were now scattered all over the floor. He looked in the bathroom. He searched the kitchen. He even looked out the balcony. He might have went outside. Alas, he was nowhere to be seen. He double-checked the bedroom, hoping to possibly find a clue to his whereabouts. When he saw none, he turned back around to leave. However, something had caught his eyes. The large closet door, similar to the one at his shrine, was slightly ajar. He slowly walked towards it. As he got closer, he started to hear whispers coming from it.

He slowly slid the closet door open.

He saw the boy sitting in there, his knees were brought up to he chin. His hands, which were shaking furiously, were covering his ears. Watanuki's eyes were closed tight.

"Go away…go away…shut up…just leave me alone…leave me alone…please….leave me alone…"

Doumeki leaned in.

"Watanuki."

His eyes shot open in fright. He looked at Doumeki, relief evident on his face. His expression then changed to shock. Noticing that Doumeki had caught him in his vulnerable state, he cleared his throat and tried to get out of the closet. Doumeki moved out of his way. Watanuki glared at him, his voice shaky as he tried to convey how annoyed he was.

"W-What t-took you so long? D-Do…you realize how…many ghosts I h-had to encounter?"

When his foot touched the floor, his legs went numb. He grabbed onto Doumeki's shirt, causing the taller man to put a hand on Watanuki's back. It felt slightly wet, for some reason.

"Urgh…I…don't feel so good…bathroom…ugh! Bathroom!"

Doumeki helped him up. He quickly, but carefully dragged Watanuki to the toilet, where he was able to empty out his stomach. Gagging and heaving into the bowl, Doumeki was not affected by how unbelievably disgusted the display was. He had to deal with drunkards at the shrine every time. He had to clean their mess that they always left behind. He had to have a strong stomach to deal with it. Seeing Watanuki coughing as more liquid spewed out of his mouth was nothing.

Doumeki tried to move away from him, but Watanuki's tight hold on his shirt didn't allow him to. He was amazed when Watanuki was able to mumble out a few words.

"You…bastard…you left me alone, knowing damn well…I was completely vulnerable to…them…"

Doumeki sighed.

"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't tell your manager that you had to follow me around because I ward off ghosts."

Before Watanuki was able to snap at him, he was brought back into the toilet. Doumeki put his hand back on Watanuki's back. Once again, he frowned as he felt something wet against his hand. When he brought his hand up, anger settling his system as he stared at the red substance staining his palm. His eyes were quickly drawn towards Watanuki's back, where three small, crimson slash marks were staining his clothes. Doumeki's bloodstained hand tightened into a fist.

His duty to protect Watanuki had never felt so much stronger.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry, it's kinda short...again. Anyway, I tried editing this a couple times, but if you spot any mistakes, please point it out to me, and I will go and fix it.

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_Watanuki sighed, relieved that the day had finally ended. He put his notebook away in his bag. As he looked out the window, he noticed a couple holding hands as they left the school gates. The girl laughed as the guy kissed her cheek. He put an arm around her as they disappeared from view. Watanuki's heart thumped painfully. He closed his eyes, wishing he didn't see that disgusting public display of affection. When he opened his eyes, he placed his forehead on the window. _

_He'd been seeing a lot of couples lately. Maybe it was because Valentine's Day just passed not too long ago. That could be it._

"_What are you looking at?"_

_Watanuki jumped, a startled gasp escaping his lips. He turned around, finally realizing that the man behind him was just a foot away from him. Watanuki palmed his chest. He immediately moved away from Doumeki._

"_D-DOUMEKI! WHAT THE HELL! DON'T SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"_

"_The door was open."_

"_THAT DOESN'T COUNT AS AN EXCUSE! Gah…make a noise, next time…"_

"_Hn. Are you going to work?"_

_Watanuki grabbed his bag, moving away from Doumeki. They both crossed the rows of desks and opened the door._

"_Yeah…why?"_

"_I'll walk you there."_

_Watanuki cringed._

"_Ugh…you make it sound awful…"_

"_What do you want me to say?"_

"_How about…'I'll accompany you to your destination.' That way, it wouldn't sound like you were walking your girlfriend home."_

"_It's the same thing…"_

"_Shut up!"_

_They walked into the hallway, closing the door behind them. It was a bit early for Watanuki to go to work, so he took his time walking down the long hallway._

"_Oh, speaking of girls. What happened to that long-haired girl that wanted to talk to you."_

"_Hn? She confessed, but I didn't return the feelings."_

_Watanuki sighed in relief. Realizing his sudden slip, he tried to cover it by glaring at the taller man._

"_You know…you won't have a girlfriend if you keep on rejecting them like that. You'll grow old with no one that way."_

_Doumeki kept on looking straight ahead, not even close to being fazed by Watanuki's words._

"_How am I supposed to like someone if I don't even know them?"_

"_Ah…well…" Watanuki thought hard for an answer, but didn't find one, "you got me there. Well, what is your ideal relationship? Apparently, knowing someone very well is a plus in your book."_

_Doumeki finally looked at him. His eyebrow was raised as he kept on walking._

"_Why do you want to know?"_

_Watanuki panicked. _

"_Ah…no real reason, actually. Was just a bit curious," he feigned annoyance, "You know what? I change my mind. Talking with you about relationships will make things awkward."_

_Doumeki stopped walking, causing the other boy to stop, as well. He turned around to face Doumeki._

"_What is it?"_

"_My ideal relationship is one of mutual trust and understanding."_

"_WHAT THE HELL?? I SAID I CHANGED MY MIND!! LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING TO YOU!!"_

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Watanuki stretched as he and Doumeki walked out of Yuuko's shop. After going through another day's worth of cleaning. As he walked down the path, he couldn't help but feel like he was living in some sort of backwards universe. Usually, Doumeki would walk him to his apartment. However, due to certain circumstances, they were walking to the same destination. Watanuki was having a hard time calling the shrine his new home. Living in the same roof as Doumeki was even harder. Living with his family, as nice as they were, left something odd in his stomach. Even if the shrine made him feel safe, adapting to a more social setting was disrupting his old routine which had kept him alive for many years.

As they rounded to a corner, Watanuki abruptly stopped walking. He breathed in, taking the aroma of something delicious. He looked around, searching for the source. Doumeki stared, confused at the boy's sudden action. Watanuki walked in a different path, Doumeki following right behind him.

"Oi…where are you going?"

"You don't smell that?"

"Smell what?"

He didn't answer his question. Instead, he walked faster to some random destination. As he turned another corner, a familiar sight caught his view. The randomly placed Oden stand was in the middle of the sidewalk. Watanuki heard the cutting of knives and the boiling of cooking pots. Although, he already ate dinner, the smell of the food made him want to eat. He walked closer to the Oden stand and noticed the familiar red-furred cook.

"Ah, Mr. Fox!"

The large fox looked up, surprised.

"Oh, my! Why, if it isn't Watanuki-kun. Oh, and you brought your friend, Doumeki-kun along with you. How are things?"

Watanuki sighed as he took his seat. Doumeki sat next to him, unfazed. He bowed his head to the fox in respect.

"Well…it's been a hectic couple weeks. I've been attacked by ghosts more than usual, I was kicked out of my apartment, I've been living with Doumeki, and…"

Watanuki never finished his sentence. Mr. Fox stopped cooking, noticing the boy's sudden halt. He looked up at him, concerned. Doumeki stared at him as well, also waiting for an answer. However, part of him knew it might be some sort of slip of the unconscious. A secret that Doumeki was not supposed to know.

Watanuki paled, finally noticing his slip-up.

"Ah…well, White Day had just passed, and there are more couples than I can count! And I thought Valentine's Day was bad! Haha! However, it's a shame that I didn't get that many chocolates this year…UNLIKE DOUMEKI, who probably got the entire female population AGAIN!"

Nice save.

"I see. I'm a bit surprised. I expected that you would be popular with the ladies, considering how charming you are."

Watanuki laughed.

"Ah…well, I guess that's how society works. The way you present yourself will grab everyone's attention."

"Hm…well, maybe that is the reason why you're popular in the spirit world. Your bloodline grabs their attention. Which…I must warn you..."

Mr. Fox's voice suddenly became very serious. Watanuki's smile fell.

"There are some strange things going on in the spirit world these days. There are more spirits than usual appearing in every corner. One false step, and they will hit you from behind. If you are not careful, Watanuki-kun…you might end up being a spirit, yourself."

A chill ran up Watanuki's spine. His face paled drastically as a cold sweat rolled down his back. His stomach dropped with a numbing heaviness as Watanuki tried to swallow the painful lump in his throat. He suddenly remembered the amount of ghosts that were in his apartment. It was a lot. More than the usual amount that he would come across, now that he thought about it. If what Mr. Fox said was true, and that malevolent spirits are growing in numbers, then all the things that Watanuki was experiencing lately had to be tied to that.

"Ah…thanks for the warning. Well…it was nice talking to you again! We'll be off! G'night!"

It was clearly seen by Watanuki's quick movements as to how disturbed he was. He almost tripped on the bench as he tried to successfully grab his bag from the floor. Unlike him, Doumeki took his time getting prepared. Watanuki was stopped when Mr. Fox called out to him.

"Watanuki-kun!"

"Y-Yes?"

"I…made some Oden for you to take home."

"Oh! Oh, sorry! I appreciate it. Thank you!"

Watanuki grabbed the boxed food that the kind fox had prepared, and bowed. He turned around again and sped walked towards their planned destination, leaving the fox waving goodbye. Doumeki still managed to catch up to him. Knowing that there were dangers in every corner, he never told Watanuki to slow down. It was dark. It was cold. Every little object might have been a trap.

Mr. Fox and Watanuki were right; the way you present yourself to society will grab anyone's attention, and what was more tempting than a vulnerable target in the middle of the night?

--------------

Does anyone know what they call Mr. Fox? I actually tried to look it up, just to make sure, but...I don't know. Either they never mentioned it, or I overlooked it.


	8. Chapter 8

"_Waataaaanuuukiii~!!" _

_Anger boiled straight to his brain as he heard the taunting voice that belonged to Yuuko-san. He wiped a bowl from the sink harshly._

"_What is it?"_

"_It's almost March 14__th__~!"_

"_I'm gonna give you a White Day present, alright? Be patient for one more week."_

"_No, no…that's not it…" _

_He slowly turned around, noticing Yuuko-san standing at the entrance to the kitchen. Her body leaning against the doorframe suggested she knew something._

"_W-What is it?"_

"_Do you know if Doumeki is going to give you a present?"_

_Watanuki almost dropped the teacups._

"_W-WHAT?"_

"_Weren't you the one complaining last month that he managed to eat your homemade chocolate-drizzled layer cake? I mean, you worked so hard on it for Himawari-chan." _

_Watanuki looked away from her, a small tint of pink coloring his cheeks. He went back to the dishes._

"_If Doumeki does give me a White Day present, I won't accept it. He stole the cake from me, so it doesn't count."_

"_Oh, Watanuki-kun~! How many times do I have to tell you? Of course, it counts. He ate the chocolate that you made."_

_Watanuki stopped wiping the dishes. He turned to her, once again. His face was clearly annoyed._

"_I'm…not…GOING…TO…ACCEPT IT!!"_

_Because it would all be a playful game to Doumeki. Watanuki's feelings wouldn't matter._

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Watanuki stared at his breakfast for the longest time. As he tried to take another bite, his stomach failed him and he was immediately nauseated. He couldn't understand why he wasn't hungry. Watanuki was always hungry in the mornings. He didn't remember a day that he was never hungry during breakfast time. He placed his bowl down and clapped his hands together, signing that he was done eating. Doumeki looked up from his bowl of rice, a bit surprised. Breakfast just started.

"You're not going to eat?"

Watanuki sighed as grabbed his dishes.

"No…I'm not really hungry. Maybe it was the feast that we had at Yuuko-san's. I'll probably end up getting hungry at lunchtime."

Watanuki got up and went to the kitchen. Doumeki heard him wash his plate as he kept on eating his serving of rice. Doumeki didn't think nothing of Watanuki's loss of appetite. He inwardly agreed to Watanuki's theory that the huge feast that they had at Yuuko's were still present in his stomach. They ate until the late hours of the evening.

Watanuki came back from the kitchen and sat back down, where Doumeki started eating the fish. As soon as he grabbed the cup to take a sip, Doumeki looked down. He paused a few minutes until he stretched his arm out, causing the boy to look up at him.

"More tea."

Anger rose up from within, releasing the mighty dragon of doom.

"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A DAMN WAITER!!"

--------------------------------

As lunchtime rolled closely to a start, Watanuki packed up his notebook and headed to the blooming cherry Blossom trees, where they agreed to meet. He was really excited for lunchtime; the history class was driving him up the wall. That class was not one of his strong suits, and just listening to the man ramble on about famous people and timelines were enough to give the boy a long nap.

He sat near one of trees and relaxed. He breathed in the floral scent and closed his eyes. The smell of spring had finally kicked in. The atmosphere made him feel calm, at peace, and carefree of anything. His senses were failing him as his mind was being lulled to sleep. His head bobbed for a few seconds, then drifted into a relaxing darkness. He wondered, as he was drifting to a deep sleep, what was taking Doumeki and Himawari-chan so long.

The first thing that he felt, as his mind was jolted back to reality, was the sudden, cold feeling of something rubbing his face. His first thought was a ghost, and he immediately quickly moved away from it. A small, but heavy gasp escaped his lips. He looked up to see what it was that had touched him, and noticed a canned beverage a few inches from his face. He followed the arm and was quickly irritated when he found out that it was Doumeki. Himawari was smiling down at him. She sat across from Watanuki as she grabbed her lunch.

"W-What the…? YOU!"

He pointed at Doumeki, his hand shaking in anger.

"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT! Feeling something cold is something I experience a lot on a daily basis!"

"Hn. I tried calling you, but you were asleep."

"Then wake me in a different way! Maybe a pat on the shoulder…or…something…"

Doumeki just shrugged and sat down. He opened his lunch and started eating, causing Watanuki's anger to rise even higher.

"YOU'RE JUST GONNA EAT LIKE THAT? HOW ABOUT A 'THANK YOU' CONSIDERING I MADE IT??"

"Did you bring the tea?"

Watanuki was ready to lash out at him, but he was still half-asleep, and his mind was not in the right place. He grabbed the thermos from the bag and angrily poured the drink. He wanted to shove it at Doumeki, but remembering that he was burned by his own tea the last time, he was really cautious.

Watanuki opened his bento and thanked for the food. He brought the rice to his food and his stomach turned. He managed to swallow it, but the sudden pang of nausea was unbelievably unpleasant that Doumeki and Himawari noticed Watanuki's slightly pale face. Himawari was the first to speak.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah…no, no…but…is the food alright?"

Himawari smiled.

"It's very good. Everything that you make is delicious. Right, Doumeki-kun?"

He nodded. Doumeki rarely said (in this case, gestured) that he liked his cooking. Deep down, that make Watanuki really happy.

Watanuki smiled sheepishly as he thanked them. However, part of him started to worry. Once again, he had lost his appetite and was reluctant to take another bite of his bento. He didn't want to feel that wave of nausea again. However, he didn't want to make them worry. He slowly brought another bundle of rice into his mouth. The results were the same. This time, he slightly gagged. They looked up at Watanuki again. Himawari's concerned face broke him.

"Watanuki-kun…are you sure you're alright?"

He couldn't lie anymore. He sighed as he brought his bento down. He covered it, and clapped his hands, ending his lunch.

"I don't…I don't know. I'm not really hungry."

"What? Are you sick? Did you catch something? I mean…it is spring…the temperature change must have effected you."

"Maybe…but…I'm feeling fine. I don't have any symptoms leading towards a cold. I'm just not hungry. It's like I'm full the entire time, and I can't take another bite."

Doumeki frowned as he chewed down another bite of his lunch. He put his food down, and placed a hand on Watanuki's forehead. The boy slightly jumped, shocked from Doumeki's actions. Doumeki placed his other hand on his own forehead and looked up in thought.

"You don't have a fever…you're fine."

Watanuki's cheeks were slightly pink, and Doumeki mentally kicked himself. He was slowly leading the boy on. He didn't want that. He picked up his food again and started chewing quickly. He replayed what he did in his head, thinking he should have warned Watanuki. Then he started replaying the time that he placed the cold beverage on Watanuki's cheek. His chewing slowed down. Placing a beverage on someone's cheek is considered an intimate action…is it…?

Watanuki cleared his throat, trying so hard to ignore Himawari's unbelievably bright smile. He glared at Doumeki, giving a clear message that he disapproved his actions.

"Well, I still have the rest of the day. Maybe I'll get hungry during that time."

They all nodded with optimism as they changed the subject.

It was only lunch period.

Watanuki had to eat at some point during the day.

-----------------------------------------------

Watanuki prepared the meal that Yuuko and company were going to eat. It was dinner time, and the smell of the cooked meat taunted everyone. When Watanuki put the plates full of food on the table, Mokona was already drooling.

"Uwwahhh," Yuuko sighed happily, "finally…the food is ready! I haven't eaten all day! Alright, let's take this food, and celebrate to another successful mission!"

Watanuki took his seat next to Doumeki. He sighed as he prepared everyone's tea.

"You just wanted another reason to drink the payment."

"What's not a better reason than that? A powerful spirit gave us this drink. We might as well drink it."

"JUST DRINK THE DAMN TEA FIRST BEFORE YOU END UP DRUNK!!"

Watanuki grabbed his chopsticks and took the first bite. His eyes widened when his stomach turned. He visibly gagged, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Doumeki looked up at him. He didn't show it, but he was starting to worry.

"What is it now?"

"Ugh…I…" he stopped. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but if he said that he lost his appetite one more time…well, he didn't know what Doumeki would do. He definitely wouldn't give Watanuki so much attention, that was for certain. An image of a mother-like Doumeki popped into his head. Him trying to keep Watanuki warm with tons of blankets and feeding him soup…it was all so horrifyingly wrong that Watanuki shuddered his disgust.

"I…I think Himawari-chan was right. I might be catching something."

"You're not hungry again?"

Watanuki tensed as Yuuko's eyes drilled holes into his eyes.

"Ah…yeah…apparently so. You know, I might just need some rest."

"That's a good idea," Watanuki heard Yuuko say from across the table, "you have been exerting yourself lately. If you want, you can leave for the night. Also, you can have the rest of the weekend off."

Watanuki was shocked. He stared at her as she took a sip of her tea. His throat clenched uncomfortably. Knowing his past experiences with Yuuko, he knew that something wrong was going to happen. Yuuko's words were always something to be careful with.

"A-Alright…I'll just…clean the kitchen, and I'll…leave for the night."

He slowly got up and went to kitchen, taking his time to wipe everything. When he was done with, he said his goodnight to Yuuko and left with Doumeki. They walked down the streets in silence until Watanuki spoke up.

"It's strange…"

"What is?"

"I…don't feel sick. I'm fine, and yet…I haven't eaten anything all day. I want to eat, but…I don't want to eat. You understand?"

Doumeki kept on looking straight ahead. He nodded. Silence filled the atmosphere. Watanuki spoke, once again.

"Do you think I'm dying?"

Doumeki looked at him for a while, noticing how slightly terrified the boy looked. Doumeki was about to check his temperature again, but then remembered lunchtime and decided against it. He looked at his features instead. He noticed his usual alabaster skin, his pink lips…his mismatched eyes…nothing out of the ordinary. Doumeki looked away.

"You don't look like you're dying."

Watanuki stopped talking after that, to Doumeki's relief. They both walked passed the shrine gates and walked into Doumeki's home. He walked into his room and got ready for bed. He bid Doumeki goodnight and went to bed. As he lied down on the futon, he stared at the moon, wondering why he wasn't hungry, not even at two in the morning. He rolled over, looking away from the window. He closed his eyes, trying to find sleep.

Nothing lulled him to sleep as he saw the sunrise coming through the trees.

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Sorry for the delay! DX College classes take a whole lot of my life, and finals are coming up...you know how it is...


	9. Chapter 9

_Watanuki coughed from his tea, surprised by the words that came out of Doumeki's mouth._

"_W-What…?"_

"_Do you want me to give you something for White Day?"_

_Watanuki kept on staring at him, shocked._

"_WHA---NOO!! NO, NO, NO! Do I look like a girl to you? Really? No…don't give me anything. Besides, boys don't give boys things on White Day…well, no. That's not true…there are some…BUT, NO!"_

"_Alright, if you don't want anything, it's fine."_

"_Good. Don't give me anything…at all."_

_Watanuki didn't care what Yuuko said, he would still reject Doumeki's gift if he ever did give him anything._

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Two days had passed, and Watanuki still couldn't fall asleep. He had seen the sunrise three times in a row, and he was exhausted. He only had twenty minutes in between each night, but it wasn't enough to keep his energy up. To top that off, he hasn't eaten anything in four days, and oddly enough, he wasn't hungry. He knew something was wrong with him, and all of the excuses that he had thought was correct came up all wrong.

Watanuki wrapped up the lunch boxes and walked out the door with Doumeki. With every second that passed between them, Watanuki's irritation was skyrocketing. He finally glared at Doumeki, shadows darkening his eyelids.

"Would you stop staring at me? It's creepy!"

"Hn…you look tired. Do you want to stay back?"

"I'm fine!"

"And you haven't eaten in four days."

"I said I'm fine! I just…need to figure out what's happening to me."

"…We could always ask Yuuko after classes end."

"Yeah…I guess this is the right time to go and ask her. I mean, I have been ignoring it…and it is getting worse…"

Watanuki's voice lowered down to a mere whisper. His head lowered, and then shot back up. His solemn expression disappeared, and he gave Doumeki a stern look.

"Here's the lunch that I made. You go and hold onto it, alright?"

He reached out, but when he close to grabbing the handles, Watanuki moved the bag away from him. Doumeki looked up, only to see the boy squinting his eyes in distrust.

"Now, don't sneak a bite, alright?"

"I'm not an idiot."

Watanuki glared, but quickly handed the bag to Doumeki. As the taller man grabbed the handles, his hand brushed into Watanuki's, and his brows furrowed. As Watanuki walked down the path, Doumeki took his time walking behind him as he stared. His frown didn't disappear as he looked at his hand. When he touched Watanuki's hand…the danger alarm in his head went off. He was really worried about the boy, now.

Watanuki's hand was freezing cold.

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Doumeki saw it coming. He knew that Watanuki wasn't able to eat his lunch. With him not eating his breakfast that morning, it wasn't a surprise when Watanuki visibly gagged and slowly place his lunch on his lap. He sighed silently as he stared at his lunch with melancholy.

"Ah, Watanuki-kun?"

His head quickly snapped up and looked at Himawari. He kindly smiled at her.

"Yes? What happened?"

"May I have more of that tea, please?"

"Not a problem."

"Thank you."

Watanuki took the cup from her hands and grabbed the thermos. As he poured the tea into the cup, he failed to notice Himawari's surprised reaction as she looked at him, then her hands, and then back to him. Watanuki sneered at Doumeki.

"Hmph…at least she asks politely for her tea. Why can't you follow her example?"

Himawari's face changed to a fake smile as Watanuki looked back at her. She thanked him as he put the cup of tea into her hands. When Watanuki turned around to put the thermos back into the back, her face dropped again as she stared at her tea. She quickly turned her head to look at Doumeki, who had noticed her sudden reaction. Her face was one of confusion and sadness. Doumeki frowned, then broke eye contact. He closed his eyes, while Himawari slowly brought the cup to her lips.

Doumeki didn't need to ask what was wrong. He noticed her hands that had brushed against Watanuki's cold fingers. Himawari didn't need to ask Doumeki what was happening to Watanuki. She noticed his loss of appetite and drowsy eyes. She wanted to know what was going on. However, she knew that Doumeki would take care of the situation. She knew that Doumeki would take care of Watanuki.

Because Doumeki would always be there to help him, to protect him…to be with him when the boy needed it most.

"Oh, lunch is over already?"

If Watanuki didn't notice the warning bell, they would have missed class.

Watanuki put his unfinished lunch away and place it in the large bag. As he took everyone's empty bento boxes, he brushed his knees off and stood up. Watanuki was about to leave from the group when Himawari called out to him.

"Ah, Watanuki-kun!"

Watanuki stopped in mid-step and turned around. He smiled at her as he questioned her reason for calling him. She paused for a second, trying to form her words as quickly as she can, so it wouldn't sound so confusing to him.

"You seem really stressed out lately…and…I haven't seen you this bad since you were getting kicked out of your apartment. So, please…feel better soon."

Watanuki's smile faltered for a bit, and then chuckled.

"Don't worry, Himawari-chan. I'll get better in no time. Just wait and see. And when I get better, I'll make the most amazing lunch that you had ever tasted."

She smiled, happy that even in his horrible state, he was still optimistic.

"I know you will. If anything happens, Doumeki will be there for you in your times of need."

Watanuki's smile, once again, faltered. Doumeki's eyebrow raised.

"AKSDJKksdfdklagghjggguuuhhhh…? W-Wait…what…do you mean? That sounded a little strange."

Himawari walked away from them. By that time, Watanuki's face turned slightly pink.

"It means what it means. Now, let's go to class. We don't want to be late."

"A-Alright…but, really! Himawari-chaaaan!"

"Haha! Don't worry about it. All I'm saying is that you two are such good friends."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

Watanuki followed her, his movement quick and panicky as he walked in zigzags behind her. Doumeki slowly walked behind them. He was trying to block their conversation out of his mind. If he paid any attention to them, he would remember the conversation that had taken close to two months ago.

"_I see," Himawari laughed, "I guess that's okay. It is him after all. Are you planning on telling him?"_

Doumeki's eyebrow twitched. He knew what Himawari was doing. Just like the loyal friend that she was, she was helping Watanuki out with…

"_I see…well, I'm sure things will work out. You two are such good friends, I highly doubt he would end the friendship just like that. Your bonds are too strong."_

"Watanuki-kun…? Watanuki-kun, are you alright?"

Doumeki's attention was brought back, and he noticed Himawari hesitantly hovering close to him, afraid that if she touched him, he would die. Watanuki was leaning on one of the Cherry Blossom trees. Doumeki rushed towards him, and grabbed his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Watanuki's voice was close to a mere whisper.

"I-I'm fine…really. I don't know what happened. I just felt…dizzy…and…urgh!"

His legs gave out, and he grabbed onto Doumeki's shirt to support himself. Doumeki held onto his arm, anger swelling in from within. He wanted to help…to protect Watanuki, and he felt that he was failing in every single way.

"We're going to Yuuko's."

Watanuki looked at him, shocked by Doumeki's sudden request.

"W-What? Now?"

"Yes…these symptoms of yours is getting worse by the day."

Doumeki helped Watanuki lean against the tree.

"But…what about class?"

"Your life is more important."

"Bu-But…uuh…"

Doumeki grabbed the lunch bag from Watanuki's hand and started walking towards the direction of the school gates. Watanuki was speechless. He looked at Himawari, earning a nod from her.

"Don't worry. I'll just tell the teachers that you got sick and Doumeki took you home."

"Uh…well, alright. Thank you, Himawari-chan."

"It's not a problem. Besides, I hope that you are better when I see you again."

"Hmm…yes. It's a promise."

He better make some pretty damn amazing lunch.

-----------------------------

Doumeki stopped in front of Yuuko's front gate. He stayed there for a few minutes so that the boy could catch his breath. He didn't blame the boy to be wiped out. Doumeki was walking faster than he usually did, and having Watanuki catching up to him in his state would be something that would knock the wind out of him. Doumeki looked at him as Watanuki wiped a sweat from his brow.

"Are you ready?"

"Hardly, thanks to you!"

Doumeki was not fazed by his jab as he walked away from Watanuki. He walked passed the gate, ignoring the glares that were jabbing at his back. As Watanuki stepped closer to the gate, he was shocked breathless as he was knocked back by an invisible force, causing his back to hit the asphalt. Doumeki turned around to see the boy sprawled on the ground, trying to force his body in a sitting position.

Doumeki stared at him in shock, then his face went blank, a hint of anger showing in his eyes. He walked towards the boy. Each stepped caused him to take a closer look at Watanuki's eyes. He noticed he wasn't accompanying Watanuki when he saw that his eyes were not mismatched; his eyes were completely black, each one feeling empty.

"Who are you?"

Watanuki looked up at him as Doumeki's voice caught his attention. He grinned, giving a low chuckle deep in his throat. As he stared up at Doumeki, he finally answered.

"You know, for an Exorcist, you're pretty slow."

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Alrighty! Finals are done, so I'm able to work on this story~! I hope you enjoyed it, and remember, R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

I just wanted to thank everyone for giving me such wonderful reviews. It motivates me. XD So...let's see...uh...well, I just want to thank the people who are sticking out with this fic. It makes me happy that everyone enjoys reading this. So...yeah. Again, thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I love you all! 3

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"_Uwahhh!! I can't believe it's already March 14__th__! Well, it's definitely going to be a long day. I mean, Yuuko-san already started hinting something about White frosting vanilla cake."_

"_Hn…she wants you to cook something for her?"_

"_Of course! I had to cook something for her for Valentines…and now I have to cook something for her for White Day…but wait…SHE'S SUPPOSED TO GIVE ME SOMETHING! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!! WHAT THE HELL?? DID SHE TRICK ME?"_

"_She might have…but then again, she is one for traditions. She might end up giving you something."_

"_Hm…maybe…you know, she might! She did give me a new mixer that day. I used it to…make…cake…for her…damn."_

"_And in the end, she managed to trick you into cooking something for her. I wonder how you fell for that."_

_There was a slight pause before they stopped at the nearest cherry blossom tree._

"_Shut up."_

"_Do you think she will give you a cocktail mixer?"_

"_Holy god, I hope not."_

_As Watanuki placed the lunch on the grass, he noticed the girl with curly pigtails running towards them._

"_Watanuki-kun! Doumeki-kun!"_

_Watanuki smiled brightly at the girl.  
_

"_Ah, Himawari-chan!"_

_She waved at both of them.  
_

"_Happy White Day!"_

_Watanuki stood up, stopping Himawari from sitting down. He grabbed a white bag that was near his school bag.  
_

"_Perfect timing. I have something to tell you."_

"_Oh? What is it?"_

"_It's…well…kind of private. Can you follow me for a minute?"_

_She was confused, but still had a smile on her face.  
_

"_Uh…yeah, sure."_

_As Watanuki and Himawari walked up to another cherry blossom tree farther down the hill, Doumeki noticed a girl that was going in his direction. She had really long, braided pigtails and thick, plastic-framed glasses. He figured it was one of the girls that confessed to him a month ago._

"_Ah, Doumeki…before you turn me down. I just wanted to say…thank you."_

_He was officially confused._

"…_What?"_

_She giggled for a moment before she explained herself._

"_There was this boy that I liked…Hiro…he didn't notice me at all. He was quite popular…and…well…look at me. I knew I didn't stand a chance, so I stopped trying to get close to him. And then…I saw you. It was one of your Archery practices, and…I couldn't help but think how amazing you were. Then I found out how popular you were with the other girls, and…to tell you the truth, I was really disappointed. However, that didn't stop me from liking you, so I vowed that on Valentine's day, I would give you chocolates. I knew you didn't care for me. I mean…you don't even know me. However, I just wanted to be confident enough to give a boy some chocolates."_

_Doumeki just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. Of all the times that girls confessed to him, all of them end up crying. However, she was the first girl to ever say anything like this._

"_One month later…the boy that I liked for so long…he finally talked to me. Hiro really surprised me, because he ended up saying that he liked me. He gave me a White Day present, even though I didn't give him any chocolates. It was funny, because he decided that you were his rival, and he thought that if he confessed to me first, Hiro would have beaten you."_

_She looked up at him, a bright smile planted on her face._

"_It's funny how it turned out, right? The popular Soccer player falling for the geekiest seamstress, all because of you."_

_It was strange how things turned out._

"_So…thank you, Doumeki-kun."_

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"I said, who are you?"

Doumeki was getting pissed. The smirk that was playing on Watanuki's face made him want to punch the hell out of him. He knew something was wrong with the boy, and he knew for a fact that it wasn't Watanuki that he was trying to converse. He walked towards the boy, grabbing him by the shirt as he pulled him up. This didn't cause fear in his darkened eyes. If anything, it was sheer amusement.

"You might want to calm down, Doumeki-kun."

He turned around, the soft, feminine voice catching his attention. She was on the opposite side of the gate. She was wearing her usual, glamorous kimonos. She just stood there, serious and unwavering.

"Yuuko…"

"Ah…the Dimension Witch, herself! How are things?"

Doumeki glared at the spirit possessing Watanuki. He looked back at Yuuko, ready to speak his mind.

"Is there any way to help Watanuki?"

She finally cracked a flirtatious smile.

"Why, Doumeki…you live at a shrine. I'd expect you to know the answer already."

"This gate…it expels malicious spirits. Could this help him?"

"No…the spirit is intertwined with Watanuki's spirit. If anything, this gate wouldn't tell the difference, and it would kill Watanuki."

Doumeki tightened his grip on Watanuki's shirt. He looked at the grinning boy, then back at Yuuko.

"My father…he is away for the week. I can't do a Purification ritual by myself."

"Well…you already have the power of purification. All you need is some…assistance."

Doumeki raised an eyebrow.

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"OH, MY GOD! DOUMEKI-KUN, WHAT HAPPENED TO WATANUKI-KUN??"

"I'm going to need your help…all of you. I know that all of the Shrine Maidens only work here, but…if he doesn't get any help…"

Ten young girls looked at Doumeki, then looked at Watanuki, who was tied down with rope. He was placed in the middle of the room. All of the candles were on each corner of the room.

"…bad things will happen if he's not purified."

The maidens just stared at Watanuki, who grinned mischievously at them.

"Hello, ladies…"

One of the girls looked at Doumeki, and with a confident expression, went to him.

"What should we do?"

The rest of the girls looked at her, then looked at Doumeki. They were afraid, they admitted that much. However, they were willing to help someone in need.

Doumeki looked at them, grateful for their help. He knew for a fact that shrine maiden these days only work at the shrine, such as festivals, or knowing your good fortune. But in this case, they are the only ones at the shrine. His father had gone to a different shrine for the week for some ceremony that they were performing. He took everyone that was needed and left, leaving Doumeki and the shrine maidens to hold down the fort.

Doumeki gave a seal for each girl. Not only for protection, but to create a barrier around Watanuki. He gave out a piece of paper to the girls, telling them that is a chant to get rid of the spirit. While they were getting ready, Doumeki walked up to Watanuki's body.

"You still haven't answered my question. Who are you?"

The unknown spirit just grinned at him. He scoffed, like Doumeki was an idiot.

"Like I would tell you. I know importance of names. If I tell you my name, you would have complete power over me."

"Alright…then what are you?"

Watanuki lowered his head.

"I'm a demon, of course. Not a lot of spirits can do what I do. If anything, they would try to force something down, and then eat them. In this boy, Watanuki's, case…he has such rare blood, you can't help but try eat him. To all spirits…he is one delightful feast…a delicacy."

Doumeki stared, soaking in the information.

"So…in your case, you couldn't help but take possession over him."

"Exactly. And I must say…taking over this boy's body is worth it."

Doumeki turned around, trying to calm his anger down. He didn't know why this spirit was riling him up. He was usually calm and collected. But that wide grin, those black eyes…

"You know…Watanuki Kimihiro should have listened to that Oden fox."

Doumeki quickly turned around.

"What…?"

"…Ahahaha…it was so easy! All I did was get him when he was asleep. It was a bit difficult, considering he had a few seals around the room. If he had a little more, he would have been safe. You know…I was planning on possessing him earlier…when he was getting kicked out of his home. He was an open target. However, I didn't expect him to stay at a shrine, so I had to plan it all out all over again. Oh, man…he should have listened to the Oden fox…"

"What did you plan to do with Watanuki?"

The spirit looked up at him, his grin never leaving his face.

"I was planning on killing him. First, I would have eaten his soul, then borrow his body for a while…and once I was done with him, bring his body deep into the water. Well, it wouldn't have kill me, considering I'm already a spirit."

Doumeki looked behind him, noticing that the shrine maidens were pale, shaking, and ready to cry. He wouldn't blame them. This was their first purification ritual that they had ever performed…that they had ever witnessed, for that matter. Doumeki sighed, and looked back at the spirit.

"I'm positive that you won't be able to do that. Once we get you out of Watanuki's body, he will be alive…and you would be gone."

"Are you sure about that? I must warn you…if you purify me, you will end up killing the boy."

Doumeki stared at him, his words piquing his attention.

"Remember what happened when Watanuki tried to pass Yuuko's gate? He fell back. Now…just think about this. Those seals that you have displayed, and Yuuko's gate…they're both the same. My spirit and Watanuki's spirit are intertwined. If you try to purify me, it won't tell the difference."

Doumeki just stood there, paralyzed.

"This ritual will kill Watanuki."


	11. Chapter 11

Alright, everyone! Just a heads-up! The next chapter is a REAALLY soft pr0n. This is not the last chapter!

Also, btw, I JUST finished typing this at...2 in the morning, and since I can never spot my own mistakes...well, get ready to see some in this chapter. As usual, point those mistakes to me, and I'll try and fix them as soon as I can. Anyway, enjoy!

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_The braided-haired girl bowed at Doumeki, signing her respect and gratitude... _

"_I'll see you next time."_

_She walked away, leaving in the direction where Watanuki and Himawari had left. He was ready to sit back down, but remembered that he had yet to give the girl a flower. He planned to give all of the flowers out to each girl that he was going to kindly reject. He grabbed a flower and ran up towards her._

"_I almost forgot to give you this."_

_She smiled at the flower, gently grabbing it from his hand. He slightly bowed to her._

"_I'm sorry that I wasn't able to accept your feelings, but now that you have someone, all I can do is wish you happiness."_

"_Thank you…and I too, wish you happiness. I hope that one day, you will find someone to love and protect. Then again…the person you love might be right in front of you. You just haven't realized it…just as Hiro didn't realize he loved me."_

_She slightly bowed, and walked back towards her destination. To Doumeki, it was definitely a surreal moment. He felt he just went into the Twilight Zone._

"_I see," Himawari laughed, "I guess that's okay. It is him after all. Are you planning on telling him?"_

_Doumeki noticed how close he was to Watanuki and Himawari, and decided to walk back to their lunch spot._

"_W-What? No! At least…not now…argh, I don't know. I highly doubt he likes me like that. We're…good friends…we have done so much together. I …don't…want to make things awkward and have him leave, or anything."_

_Doumeki's body froze in mid step. His mind was telling him to keep going…it was not his business…so why won't his body cooperate? _

"_I see…well, I'm sure things will work out. You two are such good friends, I highly doubt he would end the friendship just like that. Your bonds are too strong."_

_Were…they talking about him? Part of Doumeki was thinking that it was someone else, but if he didn't recognize Himawari's ever famous "such good friends" line, he could have calmed down a lot more._

"_I…I suppose you're right. Yeah, things will work out, but…again, I don't plan on telling him anytime soon!"_

"_Alright, alright…well, how about this? Why don't we go to the movies this Sunday? Let's celebrate the end of a crush, and the beginning of a new one!"_

"_I…I guess, but just to let you know…I don't like theatres that much…ghosts seem to hang around there."_

_Doumeki was only a few feet from their lunch spot, so when they came back to eat their food, they didn't find it strange that Doumeki was standing there, frozen in place. It was only when they both sat down that they were confused._

"_Hey…idiotic statue! Why are you standing there like that?"_

_Doumeki looked down at Watanuki. The boy looked at him with a questionable eyebrow. Doumeki couldn't stand to look at him at that moment. The sudden knowledge that Watanuki liked him like that was just too much._

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Doumeki didn't know what to do. He stared down at Watanuki, speechless. The spirit just grinned, causing Doumeki's blood to boil. He wanted to help Watanuki. He wanted to free him from the spirit that was controlling his body. However, what the spirit said to him was true, the ritual that he was trying to perform would kill Watanuki.

"My, my…what will you do now?"

Doumeki's hands clenched.

"It's a tough decision. If you do this ritual, Watanuki would die. If you don't, Watanuki will still die. Not a lot of choices."

Doumeki made eye contact. The pitch black eyes that stared back at him didn't waver. Doumeki sighed, and moved from his position. As he walked up to one of the shrine maidens, the spirit straightened up from his seated position, curious as to what the man was planning next. Doumeki walked up to one of the girls, who was closer to the door, and whispered in her ear. The girl nodded and walked out of the room.

"Oh-ho!! So, sending in reinforcements?"

Doumeki looked back at the spirit, his face ever stoic. He walked back to where he was standing before, and sat down.

"I guess you could say that."

The spirit chuckled.

"Getting help from your friends, hmm? My, what a hopeless effort. Well, no matter. The outcome would still be the same."

Doumeki kept quiet. When he heard the door open, he sat back up. The shrine maiden returned, but this time, was holding onto a long case that was covered in cloth. Doumeki grabbed it from her hands, and started to set something up.

"Is that it? That object is going to help?"

Doumeki didn't answer. Instead, took a wooden, slightly curved stick from its case. A string was attached to it. He ran his fingers across the string, and placed the end of it to the tip of the stick. As he attached the string, the stick changed form and took on a more curved shape. The spirit raised an eyebrow.

"A bow?"

Doumeki looked back at him, noticing the slight concern and confusion that was planted on the spirit's face. He sighed, and then looked at all of the shrine maidens. With a clear voice, he finally spoke.

"Say the chant."

The girls nodded and started mumbling the words that were on the piece of paper. The spirit's face fell, shock was all that was evident.

"W-What? Didn't you hear me? Watanuki will die if you do this! What the hell are you doing?!"

Doumeki's expression didn't change.

"You said it yourself that Watanuki would die, no matter what I do."

The spirit shook in anger.

"You wouldn't…you wouldn't dare!! YOU WOULDN'T KILL YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND!!"

Doumeki just stood there, unaffected by his words.

"I wouldn't want to do this, but it's better than having my best friend be killed by a demon."

Something inside the spirit snapped, as he broke the rope that was tied around him with an amazing strength. One of the maiden's jumped up, frightened by the sudden anger.

"You…you…son of a….BITCH!!!"

He charged at Doumeki, rage blinding him as he ran across the room. It was proven pointless as he was knocked back on the floor. The seals that were protecting the maidens had acted like an electric fence, zapping Watanuki's body off the floor and landing on the tatami mats with a harsh thump. The girls screamed, jumping away from the circle that protected them from the attacker. Doumeki, however, was still standing on the same spot, unfazed by the sudden attack.

He looked at the girls who were huddled right at the door.

"You can leave now. He's already weakened."

They looked at him in shock, some were hesitant to leave. However, with Doumeki's determined stare, they nodded and left the room. Doumeki looked back at the boy sprawled on the floor, breathing heavily as he tried to get up. He walked closer to the barrier.

"Getting out of Watanuki's body would be my final offer, but I have a feeling that you won't be doing that."

"Ahaha….you figured right. I'll never…leave this body…"

The spirit finally managed to get up, his body hunched over from exerting himself. While in the process of getting up, he didn't notice Doumeki pulling on the string of his bow, aiming a nonexistent arrow at him. Doumeki let go of the string, and a bright light taking shape of an arrow flew straight at Watanuki. The spirit didn't move quickly enough, and the golden arrow pierced through his chest. As Watanuki's body once again hit the floor, another creature landed just a few feet away from him. It glowed a soft white light as the spirit's body finally revealed itself. As it tried to get up, small orbs of light separated from its body, hinting its end.

Doumeki heard himself speak.

"A White Fox spirit. Your kind is not known to injure humans, so why did you try to hurt Watanuki?"

"White Fox spirits are known to be mischievous and manipulative. We are also known to take possession of humans for personal gain…"

"Hm…so, you were taking possession of Watanuki for your own personal gain. You never planned on killing him."

"Ahaha……you know…you are one cunning bastard…even more than me…! How…did you…see through my lies? How…did you know…?"

"You faltered."

"…W-What…?"

"Right when I asked one of the shrine maidens to get my bow, you looked a bit concerned. That was when I knew you were lying."

The White Fox spirit laughed weakly, then with his last breath, exclaimed one last word to Doumeki.

"You better check up on that kid…I may have lied about the seals killing him…but I possessed him long enough…for him to be…in danger……"

With one last glow, the spirit was gone. Doumeki, thinking fast, went straight to Watanuki. He kneeled before him, checking to see if he was still alive. Doumeki's hand froze when he checked for a pulse.

There was none.

"Watanuki…"

He didn't give up. He shook Watanuki's body, called his name repeatedly; he even tried CPR, but to no avail. Watanuki was cold as ice. Doumeki's heart fell as moments with Watanuki were flooding into his mind.

"…_argh, I don't know. I highly doubt he likes me like that."_

Doumeki sat down beside him, staring at the boy, hoping that somehow, his eyes would open. He wanted to see those mismatched eyes again…those eyes that would always glare at him on a constant basis. Those eyes that shows struggle and grief when vulnerable…those eyes that, on some rare occasions, twinkle happily in his direction…

"_We're…good friends…we have done so much together."_

"You idiot…"

"_I …don't…want to make things awkward and have him leave, or anything."_

Doumeki reached out and touched Watanuki's hand…the hand that he used to produce such delicious food.

"Idiot…you haven't told me, yet."

"_Yeah, things will work out, but…again, I don't plan on telling him anytime soon!"_

"…How am I supposed to accept your feelings, when you haven't told me, yet?"

Doumeki sighed, not even surprised about his newfound affection for the boy. As he sat there in silence, it took him a couple seconds to realize that something was twitching against his hand. He looked down, noticing Watanuki's fingers that were against Doumeki's hand were twitching. Doumeki held his breath, straightened up, and hovered over the boy.

"Watanuki…"

Doumeki gently shook him, relieved that there was warmth seeping through Watanuki's clothes. The boy mumbled weakly, waking up from his near-death encounter.

"Watanuki!"

His eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing mismatched eyes. His vision was blurry, still unable to focus on the man that was hovering above him.

"Dou…meki? Wha......Doumeki?"

His vision was crystal clear when he saw the brown eyes that belonged to the taller man. He looked around, noticing how he was flat on his back, and Doumeki…was hovering right on top of him. Watanuki breathed in deeply, tightened one of his hands, and delivered a crack on the face.

"W-WHAT THE HELL?? DOUMEKI??"

For the first time in Watanuki's life, he had managed to punch Doumeki. What was even more surprising was that Watanuki wasn't even boasting about it. Doumeki got up, rubbing his jaw.

"You're welcome."

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"I just saved you from a spirit possession."

"I…wait, what?"

Doumeki sighed.

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"So…really…all that really happened to me?"

"I wouldn't lie about it."

Watanuki gave another bowl of rice to Doumeki.

"No, no…it's not that I don't believe you. It's just…"

Watanuki stopped talking and stared at Doumeki, who was eating his third bowl of rice. Watanuki frowned as he realized that the rice in the cooker was empty.

"Doumeki…are you sure you're not full yet? I mean…"

The man stopped eating and stared at Watanuki. There was silence until Watanuki sighed.

"…Forget it. I'm talking to a man that has a black hole for a stomach. Why do I bother asking?"

"Hn…"

After dinner was over, Doumeki and Watanuki carried the plates to the kitchen. They put them in the dishwasher, carefully placing each bowl and cup on the rack.

"You know…" Watanuki stretched his arms, "After having so many near-death experiences, I believe I should live a little more…you know…take chances on the things that I was afraid to do."

"Hn…if anything happens to you again--"

"You would miss out on seeing an idiot in action?"

"No, that's not it!"

Watanuki stared at Doumeki, curious.

"I would miss eating your cooking three times a day."

"YOU BASTARD! IS THAT ALL YOU FREAKIN' CARE ABOUT??"

All he could do now was poke fun at Watanuki. He was going to wait until the day the boy was going to confess. However, even if he waited patiently, Doumeki had a stopping point. If Watanuki doesn't confess soon, Doumeki will.


	12. Chapter 12

Alright...so....I lied. This chapter does not hold any soft Pr0n. I felt that the action would be too sudden, so I thought I could extend the moment for one more chapter. So, just a heads-up, ch. 13 will be the LAST CHAPTER! It's sad, but it has to end at some point. Thank you all for sticking with me 'till the end! Your reviews makes me happy, and I love you all for them! Anyway! Enjoy, and as always, R&R~~~!

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_Doumeki stared at his calendar. It was close to the end of April, and he still didn't get a birthday present for Watanuki. With all of the things that had happened, whole possession problem and all, giving a present was the last thing that came to mind. It was only when Watanuki looked at his calendar in shock that he knew something was wrong. He told Doumeki that his birthday has already passed two weeks ago. It was then and there that he had to think fast. When it came to picking out presents, he always had a hard time. He could get cooking utensils, but he already did that last year. He could also give him seals, but Watanuki was still living at the shrine._

_He was officially stumped._

_Doumeki walked away from the calendar, giving up for the time being. He walked along the porch, breathing in the air that signaled the coming of Spring. As his mind started to drift, he heard the sound of instruments playing softly in one of the rooms. He followed it, curious as to where it came from. He stopped at one of the large rooms that the shrine maidens used often in their spare time. He looked through the window, noticing three women and a boy smiling happily. Watanuki was in there, enjoying the free concert that the three shrine maidens were holding. They were playing the three-stringed instrument, the shamisen, while Watanuki stared at them in amazement._

"_You all play so beautifully!"_

_The shrine maidens blushed, thanking Watanuki for the nice comment._

"_How long have all you played?"_

_The girls answered._

"_Since I was five."_

"…_I was seven."_

"_I was also five."_

_Watanuki looked at them in admiration._

"_Wow! And you are all still so young! How old are you all exactly? Eighteen…? Nineteen?"_

_The girls laughed._

"_About that age, yes."_

_Doumeki hasn't seen Watanuki this happy in a while. It was great to see him in a good mood after all those days._

"_Well, it was really great to hear you all play! I have to get ready to cook dinner."_

"_Alright, Watanuki-kun. I'll see you later!"_

_They all said their good-bye's, and Watanuki walked out of the room, not even noticing the man that was standing in front of the window. Doumeki was about to call out to him, but was stopped by a sudden epiphany._

_He stood on the same spot for a few seconds before walking into the room where the shrine maidens were._

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"Watanuki-kun!"

Himawari waved at him, happy to see her best friend after not seeing him for three days. While staying at the shrine to recuperate, Doumeki told Himawari what had happened. Watanuki waved back to Himawari, meeting up with her and Doumeki at the lunch spot. He sat down right in between them, placing the lunch boxes in front of him. Himawari smiled.

"I'm so glad that you are feeling so much better now. You look better, too!"

"Yeah, well…after having a White Fox spirit take over your body for about five days, if feels nice to do the things that I couldn't do before…like sleeping and eating."

Himawari nodded.

Watanuki loosened the cloth that was wrapped around the lunch boxes. He grabbed the first box and opened it. He showed it to Himawari.

"As promised, the most amazing lunch that you had ever tasted, cooked by yours truly."

Himawari gaped at it, then laughed. It was the most wonderfully decorated lunch she had ever seen. What got her laughing was the white rice that had "AMAZING LUNCH" colored in blue. She thanked him before grabbing the chopsticks. Watanuki grabbed the other lunch box and opened it.

"Aaannndd, for Doumeki…a meal that is fit for a glutton."

Doumeki grabbed it, and was ready to take a bite out of it, but froze as he stared at the red message in the white rice:

THANKS FOR SHOOTING AN ARROW AT ME.

Doumeki looked up at Watanuki, who was in the middle of opening his lunch. After a few seconds of staring at his bento, he shrugged. He figured that was the closest to a thank-you he was ever going to get from him at that moment. He stuck the chopsticks into the rice and started eating. As he took the second bite, he heard Himawari gasp in happiness.

"Watanuki-kun, this is so good…!!"

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Doumeki lied down on his bed, exhausted by the night's archery practice. After having a weird mishap with the string of his bow almost taking his eye out, the coach told him to go home and get some rest. He looked up at the ceiling, finally able to think. After practicing really hard for the tournament nonstop for a week, he had no time to think about the one thing that he needed to go over with himself.

His sudden affection towards Watanuki.

He definitely didn't see that coming. He was always with Watanuki, and it only took a possession and a near-death experience to make him realize that he had feelings for the boy. However, what confused him was…why? Why was it that moment? It wasn't the first time Watanuki was close to death, so why? Maybe…he was slowly falling for the boy without realizing it. He was flustered and maybe a bit sickened when he learned that Watanuki liked him, but…when he started seeing him in a new light, everything changed. Doumeki only saw the annoying, stubborn, independent, ghost-seeing classmate, but after spending more time with him, he learned that Watanuki was a wonderful, talented, caring……trauma patient.

With all the things that Watanuki goes through on a daily basis, he wouldn't be surprised if his mentality would be a little screwed up.

Doumeki closed his eyes. No matter how long he thought about it, it wouldn't change the fact that he had feelings for Watanuki. He got up from his bed and opened the sliding door that led to the backyard. As he stood there, he couldn't help but remember the time when Watanuki knocked on his door, injured from his encounter with demons. If he remembered correctly, he said something about the landlady telling him to take the seals down.

Oh, how much that landlady angered him.

"Hey, Doumeki!"

He turned around, hearing the knock coming from the other door. He looked at the clock. He sighed, slightly annoyed by the sudden interruption of his thoughts. He walked across the room to the door. When he opened it, Watanuki was standing there. He was holding a tray that had two cups and a teapot. Doumeki stared at it, then looked at Watanuki, who looked at him in determination.

"I made tea."

Doumeki raised an eyebrow.

"Hn."

Watanuki glared.

"Well, are you going to let me in?"

Doumeki moved to the side and opened the door wider, letting the boy into his room. Watanuki placed the tray on the small, round table that was in the middle of the room. Doumeki closed the door and followed. He sat down and stared at the boy as Watanuki prepared the tea. After grabbing the teacup from Watanuki's hands, he looked at the tea. He heard the boy's annoyed voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then, what is it?"

Doumeki finally looked up at Watanuki, his face ever stoic.

"What's the occasion?"

Watanuki frowned.

"What?"

"You made tea for us."

Watanuki glared, trying to hide how flustered he was.

"T-THERE'S NO SPECIAL REASON! I just happened to be bored. Besides, your mom thought I could share some with you since you just came home from archery club."

Doumeki looked down at his tea again.

"So…you made tea out of boredom?"

"YES! YES, I MADE TEA! WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??"

"Nothing…"

"IF IT'S NOTHING, THEN DRINK THE DAMN TEA!"

Doumeki took a sip. He noticed that it had a rich, toasty taste to it. He put the tea down on the table, and looked up at Watanuki, who was looking out at the backyard. He noticed that Doumeki was staring at him, and glared.

"What?"

"The tea."

"What about it?"

"It's my favorite."

Watanuki's eyes widened.

"W-What?"

"Genmaicha. It's my favorite."

Watanuki looked down at his tea, trying hard to figure out how to respond.

"…I…see…"

Watanuki sat in silence until he noticed something on Doumeki's arm. He didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when he got a better look at it, Watanuki's eyebrows furrowed.

"Doumeki…"

"Hn?"

"What the hell happened to your arm?"

Doumeki looked down, finally noticing the red liquid slowly dripping from his left forearm. He thought back of the moment where the string on his bow snapped, almost hitting his face. Apparently, he didn't feel the string whip him on the arm.

"Hn."

"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY? HOW DID YOU EVEN HURT YOURSELF??"

"It was an archery mishap."

"Jeez…I'll go get the first-aid. Don't move."

Watanuki got up and left the room, leaving Doumeki to inspect his arm a little more. He poked at it, discovering the deep cut. His hand twitch when he started to feel the pain kick in. He saw droplets of blood sliding down his arm. He stared at it, curious as to why he didn't feel such a deep wound. He heard Watanuki walk back into the room, carrying the first-aid kit in hand. After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped. Doumeki raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I…just had a sudden wave of déjà vu."

"Hn. Just a month ago, you were the one injured, remember?"

Watanuki looked up in thought. He soon remembered the time when all the ghosts from his apartment attacked him, leaving him injured, and it was Doumeki who bandaged his wounds.

"Oh, yeah…"

He walked towards the small table. He opened the box, taking out disinfectants, cotton balls and bandages. As he drenched the cotton ball with the disinfectant, Doumeki pushed up the sleeve of his yukata. He stretched his arm out on the table. Watanuki grabbed it, looking closer at the wound before putting the cotton on it. Doumeki's hand twitched as he felt the sting of the disinfectant, but after a while, he was distracted by the warmth of Watanuki's hands.

"You know," Watanuki finally spoke, catching Doumeki's attention,"…I met up with the landlady a couple days ago."

Doumeki's eyes furrowed. He noticed Watanuki's eyebrows crease in anger.

"She was happy that I'm adjusting pretty well at the shrine, and relieved that I'm not homeless."

Doumeki's right hand tightened.

"…what nerve, right? She acted like she wasn't responsible for kicking me out."

Watanuki started to dab the cotton onto Doumeki's arm harder, causing his hand to twitch in pain.

"You know what's even worse? She started talking about some guy who started living in the apartment. She said he was a 'RESPONSIBLE man.' Ugh…I swear, it sounded like she was saying that I'm not responsible."

Doumeki was grateful when Watanuki stopped dabbing the cotton on his arm. Watanuki grabbed the bandages. As he started to unroll it, he spoke in a high-pitch voice, mimicking the landlady.

"Oh, Watanuki-kun, I'm sorry that I kicked you out of your _apartment_, but I'm glad that you're doing great. Excuse me while I go and _admire_ how the new tenant is _so much better than you!_"

Watanuki started to wrap the bandages tighter.

"Ugh…that woman…two-faced little…"

"Watanuki."

"What?"

Doumeki looked down at his injured arm, noticing how pale his fingers were.

"You're cutting off the circulation to my arm."

Watanuki blushed in embarrassment. As he loosened it, Doumeki could feel the rush of blood flowing down his hand, leaving an odd, tingling feeling. Watanuki packed the first-aid kit back up and left the room. When he sat back down, he grabbed his cup of tea that had been forgotten. Before he took a sip, he glanced at Doumeki.

"If any archery mishap ever happens again, make sure you're not injured. I don't want you bleeding all over the floor."

Doumeki looked back, locking on to Watanuki's mismatched eyes. Ever since the possession, Doumeki was grateful to see those eyes. It assured him that Watanuki wasn't possessed. However, recently, he had thought of Watanuki's eyes as unique…beautiful in its own way. He enjoyed them more, content to see them every time they were looking his way.

Watanuki broke eye contact, finally taking a sip of his tea. Doumeki drank his tea, as well, his eyes never leaving the boy.

"Thank you."

Watanuki paused. It wasn't every day that he heard Doumeki say those words, and when Watanuki would hear them, it left a warm, happy feeling in his stomach. He looked away, a slight blush tinting his cheeks.

"Well, someone had to fix your arm. You would've done a poor job if you did it yourself."

Doumeki kept on drinking his tea, enjoying the comfort that the taste seemed to offer. He kept looking at Watanuki, finding the boy's squirming very amusing.

After spending a good hour in Doumeki's room, Watanuki got up.

"Alright. I'm leaving. You go and get some rest. You've been looking like hell lately."

The boy grabbed the tray, taking the teacups and the teapot with him. He was ready to leave, until he felt a warm hand gently grab his wrist. He froze. Watanuki's eyes widened as he looked down at the man. Doumeki stared back, his expression very serious.

"Bring snacks next time."

Watanuki's face changed in a heartbeat. His eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes darkened with anger. His lips twitched into a sneer.

"WHO SAID THERE WAS GOING TO BE A 'NEXT TIME'???"

"Idiot…"

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XDD I hope you all enjoyed it. Just to let you know, I'm going to be moving very soon, and my internet access will be gone for a while. So, if you don't see the last chapter up for about a month or two, it doesn't mean that I gave up on this fic. While my interent will be gone, I'll try to work on the last chapter. Considering that the whole unpacking ordeal will take a lot of my time, I'll try to sqeeze some writing time in there. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and I will be back (hopefully, soon) with the next one!


	13. Chapter 13 FINAL

Alright everyone, lucky for ya'll, I had a lot of time in my hands to present to you the LAST CHAPTER!! TA-DAA!! So...here's the thing, after working really hard on trying to make this the best ending to this fic, it came out to be the longest...chapter...ever! To tell you the truth, chapter 12 was not the greatest chapter that I had done. yes, it did explain Doumeki's acceptance to his feelings and such, but still...I was never fond of it, and I felt that you all deserved the most epic chapter. So, even if I accidentally made this finale a bit too long, I thought it would make up for chapter 12. So, enjoy, everyone, and thank you giving this fic a chance. I love you all!

Warning: I'm rating this chapter a really high T for the soft pr0n.

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_Watanuki had gotten used to waking up really early before everyone else did. He would always cook the entire household their "wonder breakfast," as Doumeki's parents liked to put it. So, when he opened his bedroom door to head into the kitchen, Watanuki jumped up. He did not expecting to see Doumeki up so early in the morning. 7:30, to be exact. He also didn't expect Doumeki to be standing in front of his room, wearing his casual wear. It was as if he was ready to leave any minute. Watanuki didn't know what to say._

"_W-What……are…why…so…early…?"_

"_We're heading out for a while."_

_Watanuki was still confused._

"_O-Okay…but, the breakfast. I haven't cooked…"_

"_They know what's going on. I'll meet you outside."_

_Watanuki's mind finally caught on._

"_Wait, what?? NOBODY TOLD ME THIS!"_

"_I know."_

_Watanuki growled. He walked down the hallway, heading towards the front door where Doumeki was. When he got there, Doumeki was in the middle of putting on his shoes. Watanuki walked over and did the same._

"_Why are we leaving?"_

_Doumeki looked at him._

"_Don't worry about it."_

_Doumeki walked out the door, leaving Watanuki confused as all hell._

"_I'M WORRIED!"_

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"You are one cunning bastard, you know that? I still don't know how the hell you managed to pull this off."

Watanuki was still in shock. After leaving the house early in the morning with Doumeki, Watanuki was worried something bad happened. He originally thought someone was in the hospital, but after spending a good ten hours going from place to place, he was even more worried than before. They went to Yuuko's, they visited Kohane-chan and the old lady, they walked around at the shopping districts, and even went so far as to go to the amusement park. Watanuki didn't know what to make of it. At least, not until he walked back into the shrine. It was there that he learned that Doumeki was stalling. Apparently, he planned a late birthday party for Watanuki, since his birthday had passed without them realizing it. Doumeki asked the shrine maidens to be music entertainers, asked his mother to bake the cake, and his father to decorate the path to make it look like a festival.

There were two stands on each side. One was a game stand and the other was a food stand. Everyone were dressed up in yukatas, smiling happily as they all screamed "SURPRISE" when he entered the gates. His mind went blank. From the time he walked in, right until he was taken to his room so that he too could wear his yukata, he couldn't remember a thing.

And now…he was in major hyper mode. After all events were over, everyone sat down at the steps of the shrine near the backyard while some of the members went to an area farther up to set up the fireworks finale. Watanuki went to Doumeki's room, where he had a good view of where the fireworks were going to be deployed. He stood by the window, excited like a little boy.

Watanuki was still having a hard time processing it all in. He couldn't remember having that much fun. It definitely had been a long time. There was so much adrenaline going through his body that he couldn't help but smile at anyone that passed by him. He was in such a good mood, he didn't yell at Doumeki the entire time.

"Really…Doumeki. How did you do it?"

"I can't tell you. It would just ruin everything."

Watanuki leaned against the window, sighing as he looked up at the sky.

"Oh, well…whatever you did, it made me really happy. I really…don't know what to say."

Doumeki looked up at him. He raised an eyebrow, wondering if someone had spiked Watanuki's drink. He was way too happy if he was able to say that. Watanuki chuckled.

"Well…there is ONE thing that I can manage to say."

He looked at Doumeki, throwing the man off by giving him the most genuine smile that Doumeki had ever seen. His mismatched eyes looked so much brighter as the moonlight reflected off of them. His hair wisped in the wind, making the moment even more special.

"Thank you."

It was right then and there, that Doumeki's mind went numb. There were rare moments that Watanuki had ever smiled at him. However, that was the best smile that he had ever gotten. And to add to his luck, Watanuki thanked him…truthfully and happily. Doumeki's mind was completely scrambled, he blurted out the first thing that he thought……

"I know."

………which he didn't want to say.

Watanuki raised an eyebrow, but still managed to hold a smile on his face.

"What…?"

Doumeki mentally kicked himself. He didn't expect to confess so soon, but after what he just blurted out, he thought he would just get it off his chest.

"I know what you said to Kunogi."

Watanuki's eyes shifted, trying really hard to remember any moments spent with Himawari in the last couple weeks. His smile brightened again, finally remembering.

"You mean that time where I told her about not being able to cook lunch for a few days?"

"No."

"When I told her that I couldn't hang out with her because of work?"

He shook his head in reply.

Watanuki's smile slightly faded.

"When…I couldn't hand in the homework?"

"No. March 14th."

"March 14th…March 14th……Oh! I told her that I had a present for her, but it had to wait until lunchtime!"

Doumeki breathed in sharply.

"I heard what you said to her that day…during lunch. You were talking to her in private. Your confession."

Watanuki didn't say anything. He kept on staring at him, his eyes never breaking away. It was then that Watanuki started to remember that day. His smile ever so slowly faded. His eyes, which were filled with happiness, started to disappear. He looked at Doumeki in shock…in hurt……in anger. In Doumeki's mind, he was planning a way to explain himself, to set things straight. And also…to defend himself from Watanuki's murderous rage. When it came to Watanuki, he knew how he was going to react. However, the topic was something that Watanuki held deep in his heart. Doumeki didn't know how much of an angry reaction he was going to receive. It was only when Watanuki threw the flower pot from the window that things were going to get hectic. Doumeki ducked, the flower pot zooming passed his head and crashing onto the wall. He then heard Watanuki's shouts.

"WHAT THE HELL???????"

Watanuki threw Doumeki's school bag.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!!!!!!"

He threw the notebook from the desk.

"THAT IS THE LOWEST THING YOU COULD HAVE EVER DONE!!!!!!!"

Doumeki swerved left and right, easily dodging the items that were thrown at him. For each item that was thrown, Doumeki took a step closer to Watanuki.

"YOU, INSUFFERABLE…UNGRATEFUL…GLUTTONOUS, BAD-MANNERED, POKER-FACED BASTARD!!!!!!!"

In one sweep, Doumeki managed to grab Watanuki's wrists before he threw anything else. Watanuki struggled, resulting in slamming against the wall. Doumeki held onto him, pinning Watanuki's arms. He felt the battle was slowly drawing to a close as the boy started to slump. Their breathing were irregular as they stood there for what seemed like hours. Watanuki looked away, anger still evident in his face.

"All this time…I bet you were laughing at me."

"No."

Watanuki still didn't look at him.

"I'm sorry."

Watanuki's head quickly looked up, looking like he was just kicked in the stomach. He clearly misunderstood it as rejection.

"Gee, thanks for being so blunt!"

"Watanuki. I'm not done."

The boy looked away again, allowing Doumeki to speak his mind.

"I'm sorry that I overheard it. A girl wanted to talk to me, and it just happened that I was close enough to hear."

"You should have walked away--"

"I did."

Watanuki still didn't look at him.

"Watanuki…I was really shocked to hear it. I didn't know how to respond, or how to react. For a moment, I almost didn't know how to approach you. I…planned out in my head how I was going to reject you."

Watanuki's heart felt like it had just been broken into tiny pieces. He started to feel sick as he felt his stomach flip.

"However…after all the things that you had been going through, I couldn't do it."

The boy finally looked up at Doumeki.

"Why? Did you take pity on me?"

Doumeki breathed in sharply. He was starting to get annoyed by Watanuki's hostile attitude. He didn't blame the boy for his anger, but he was trying to confess and Watanuki was making it impossible to do so. Doumeki glared at him, showing how much Watanuki was getting to him. However, Watanuki didn't back down as he glared back at him.

"…I couldn't do it, because it wasn't the right time to tell you."

"And you regretted not telling me when I died, right? Or were you relieved?"

Doumeki had enough. His anger level reached its peak. He tightened his hold on Watanuki's wrist. He brought a leg behind Watanuki's, causing the boy to lose his balance. With one swift motion, Doumeki knocked him onto the floor. Before Watanuki had time to figure out what had just happened, Doumeki was on top of him. His wrists were pinned down, not giving Watanuki the opportunity to fight back.

"W-WHAT THE HELL WAS TH--"

"You have no idea what I felt."

Watanuki looked at him, shocked beyond belief. He had seen Doumeki angry before. The last time he recalled Doumeki's anger was when he shoved Watanuki against the wall, learned that he had sacrificed his right eye to save Doumeki's. However, Doumeki rarely snapped at him, and him flinging Watanuki on the floor had left the boy speechless.

"When you died, I panicked. I tried really hard to save your life. When you didn't wake up…I was angry. I hated the White Fox spirit for killing you. However…I hated you the most. Right when I started to realize I had feelings for you, you had to go and die on me."

Time seemed to stop. Neither of them moved a single muscle. Watanuki just laid there, frozen. His eyes were wide open. Shock had replaced all of Watanuki's anger. Doumeki just kept on staring at him. On the outside, he looked very calm and collected. However, his heart was beating fast, and his stomach was doing flips in every direction. As Doumeki stared down at the boy, he was starting wonder how long Watanuki was going to stay quiet. It was only when Watanuki took a breath that Doumeki froze in place.

"Considering…how hard you threw me, do…you still hate me?"

"No."

"…Doumeki…I…don't know what to say. I…uh…don't know what to do."

"Hn."

Watanuki glared.

"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I DON'T KNOW! SAY ANYTHING! DO ANYTHING! BE MORE PRODUCTIVE, INSTEAD OF HOVERING OVER ME!"

"Alright."

Watanuki's eyes went wide as Doumeki leaned in. Their lips gently pressed against each other. Watanuki's mind felt like it was swiped clean. He saw flashes of light, dots in every direction. He wasn't sure of it were the fireworks that had been deployed, or if it was his imagination. However, as he started to relax into the kiss, everything from the outside world faded. He felt Doumeki's grip on his wrists loosen, allowing Watanuki to move freely. As he felt one of Doumeki's hand brush his hair away from his face, Watanuki took the chance to wrap his arm around his neck, pulling Doumeki into a deeper kiss.

Doumeki was both grateful, and amazed, that Watanuki didn't punch him when he kissed him. He was expecting him to shout at him, saying that he was moving way too fast. However, as their kiss became more passionate, he was starting to wonder how long had Watanuki wanted this. How long did Watanuki like him? Was it a few months? Maybe a whole year? However long it was, it didn't change the fact that Watanuki wanted this to happen, had hoped that this could happen…and now that it was happening to him, Watanuki wasn't going to back down.

"…Ah…"

Doumeki snapped back into reality, a bit taken aback by Watanuki's moan. He lifted himself up, a bit curious as to what sort of expression Watanuki had. When Doumeki looked at him, he couldn't help but stare. Watanuki's hair were spread out in different directions. His eyes, half-lidded, glanced in his direction. His lips, which were wet and swollen, were slightly open, gasping for air. Doumeki never had any explicit dreams about Watanuki, but if he ever had, it probably wouldn't compare to the real thing.

Watanuki glared at him wearily.

"Stop staring, idiot…"

He felt Watanuki grab hold of Doumeki's yukata, and gently pulled him down. His mind had shut down when he heard Watanuki whisper his name in his ear. When the boy started to nibble at Doumeki's ear, all instincts took over. Everything was a complete blur. However, he felt every touch, every kiss, every movement. He heard every gasp, every moan, every plea. Doumeki's actions were…almost feral…uncontrollable. It was definitely a different side of him that he, himself didn't know existed. Yet, he was never ashamed. Doumeki knew that Watanuki was the catalyst to his actions, and he didn't mind that one bit. Besides, Watanuki didn't seem to mind it, either.

Before they knew it, they heard a knocking on the door, Doumeki's mother calling out to them..

"Shizuka? Kimihiro-kun? Are you in there?"

Both men immediately froze. Watanuki glanced at the door, then back at Doumeki. The person behind the door kept on knocking. After a few seconds, they heard more female voices, each belonging to a shrine maiden.

"Did you think they went to sleep?"

"Maybe…it is pretty late."

"Should we open the door and check?"

Watanuki panicked, and was ready to go and say something, but Doumeki quickly covered his mouth with his hand. They heard his mother answer the girls.

"No, no. Shizuka's a bit of a heavy sleeper. If he was awake, he would have answered immediately."

"Hmm…yeah. That means Kimihiro-kun is asleep, too."

"Aww! I wanted to wish him a happy birthday again!"

"We all wanted to, as well. Come on, girls. We better get some sleep, too."

They heard footsteps leaving the door, their words still resounding down the hallway.

"I hope they enjoyed the fireworks. It was amazing."

Silence fell over them. Once they knew they were safe, they sighed. Doumeki removed his hand from Watanuki's mouth and placed it right back down. Watanuki wanted to laugh really hard, but he was still in shock to do so. He managed to chuckle before looking back at Doumeki. It was right at that moment that he realized the position that they were both in. They somehow ended up on Doumeki's bed. Watanuki's yukata was sprawled on the floor where they originally were. Doumeki's yukata was still on, but one side of it was off his body, while the other side fell off his shoulders. Watanuki's legs were spread out, each one on top of Doumeki's legs.

Watanuki was completely naked.

He blushed a deep red. He squirmed as he tried to hide his embarrassment. He hesitantly grabbed onto Doumeki's loose yukata, getting the man's attention. Doumeki looked down, noticing his fumble. He had the urge to smirk as he saw how red his cheeks were. Watanuki didn't dare to look at him, but spoke up.

"We…missed the fireworks."

"Hn."

"It's…a shame. I wanted to see it."

"Would you have preferred the fireworks than this?"

Watanuki finally looked up at him, mortified.

"H-How the hell can you say that with a straight face?"

Doumeki shrugged. In truth, he found Watanuki's discomfort…very amusing. He brought his hand up, having the most horrible urge to brush Watanuki's hair out of his face. As he did that, Watanuki's eyes shifted nervously, looking at everything but Doumeki. The man leaned back down, gently kissing Watanuki's lips to calm him down. The boy seemed to relax again, wrapping his arms around Doumeki's neck as he responded to the kiss. Doumeki moved lower, kissing his neck. He chuckled at the ticklish sensation. He pulled at Doumeki's yukata, revealing more perspired skin. Watanuki moaned softly, reveling in the way Doumeki's hands were sliding down his legs. Watanuki felt the man position himself, tightening his hold on Watanuki's hips.

It was at that moment that the boy started to panic. It wasn't every day that you experience your first time. His sudden grip on Doumeki's wrist signaled his hesitation. Watanuki saw Doumeki lean in and whisper in his ear. Watanuki couldn't make out what he was saying, since the pounding of his heart muffled everything. However, just the fact that Doumeki had stopped to calm him down made him feel at ease again. Doumeki took the chance and slowly penetrated into Watanuki, causing the boy to muffle his pain on his shoulder.

"…Doumeki…"

Watanuki dug his nails into Doumeki's shoulder blades, both nervous and excited by the sudden rocking of their hips. Watanuki moaned louder, each wave of pleasure causing him to see stars. Their breathing quickened, their hearts pounded loudly, and their thrusts became more desperate. Watanuki's moans filled the room, not even caring that they could have been heard. Watanuki raked Doumeki's back with dull fingernails as his head snapped back from the dizzying satisfaction. They held onto each other as they released their desire. Doumeki's body slumped, burying his face onto Watanuki's neck. He could feel the boy's pulse thumping wildly. When they both had calmed down, they separated.

Watanuki didn't know what to say. What does one say after sleeping with each other? Wow? That was amazing? Incredible? Let's do it again?

He paled. It all sounded so horrible in his head.

"I wonder if we could move your room closer to mine."

Watanuki fought the urge to smack his forehead. Just leave it to Doumeki for saying the most blunt thing he could think of after sex. Watanuki sighed. He didn't have the energy to yell at the man. He looked at the Doumeki, who had his wrist over his eyes. Watanuki was starting to feel the sleep kick into his system, and closed his eyes. Through his sleepiness, Watanuki said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I'm still wondering if there's going to be an encore."

Watanuki's eyes opened wide, realizing how horrible and misleading that sounded. He saw Doumeki looking at him, his eyebrow raised so high. Watanuki panicked, failing miserably at glaring at Doumeki.

"I-I MEANT THE FIREWORKS!"

It did sound like a good idea, though.

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FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE SKIPPED THE BEGINNING PART (for, even I tend to do that), THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER.

Thanks again for reading~


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